A Demon's Magic
by RikuRoyalty
Summary: Yuri Shibuya thought that his life couldn't have gotten any weirder, being the Demon King and all. But what happens when he receives a strange letter via owl?
1. Chapter 1

Me: Yes, yes. I know it's short but I like keeping the first chapter's short, makes it interesting.

Friend: Your just lazy . . .

Me: Hey, your lucky I'm even putting this up. I still have doubts about this story.

Friend: Should you really be telling that to the people reading?

Me: I like being honest.

Friend: No, you don't.

Me: Feh-

* * *

There were those days . . . . YES, THOSE DAYS! Just those days when you wished that you were a normal high school student, but no, you can't ask for that can you? I sighed as I 'listened' to my older brother, Shori, tell me that as the Demon King, I have to learn how to be elegant, strict and intelligent. So being an average student, with a high tolerance to anyone who yelled at me and playing baseball wasn't enough? Apparently not.

"Look, Shori-"

"That's Onii-chan, Yu-chan!"

I sighed, "Onii-chan. I don't understand how sending me to a different school is going to help."

"It's a good school! Not to mention that-"

I let him go on like that as I stared out the window. This was not going to be fun.

It was only yesterday when I had received a strange letter. Now, by this time I was used to strange, but not _this_ strange. This first sign I got was how it was sent to me. An _owl_ had been used to fly it all the way from England. When I told Murata this he just seemed to laugh.

*Flashback*

"Shibuya, don't worry too much about it!"

"Oh, c'mon Murata! I mean, 'School of Witchcraft and Wizardry'?"

"It might be fun." he tried to coax me into it.

"As fun as being the Demon King?" I glared, but he only laughed again.

"Ok, maybe not _that _fun."

"What do I do?"

"I don't know."

"Don't you have _any _answers? Your considered the Great Sage aren't you?"

"Calm down, Shibuya. I don't know what _you _should do, but I do know what _I'm _going to do."

"And what's that?" I asked, he was acting suspicious.

"Contact an old friend. Can I borrow that owl?"

*End Flashback*

My mom was ecstatic about it and so she completely approved it. My dad had no say in the matter, considering that he was on a business trip with Bob. Shori thought of this as an opportunity for me to 'broaden my horizons', at which I hated him for that. "Look, Sh-," I stopped a bit to correct myself. He would never listen to my if I didn't call him 'onii-chan'. "Onii-chan, what about my duty as the Demon King?" He gave me one of those 'thinking looks.' "Well, according to you time doesn't pass whenever you go to the Demon Kingdom correct?" He was right, ever since the Four Boxes were destroyed the time lapses between both worlds returned to their original state.

I sighed in defeat. "OK, I'll go check it out . . . ." Going on a trip to England sounded like a good idea anyway. "That's my little brother! Now, let's get you packed!" I sighed again as Shori left the room to go find a suit case. I took out the letter that was resting in my pocket and read it over,

_Dear Mr. Yuri Shibuya,_

_I have the honor of informing you that you have been accepted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry._

_I laughed a bit under my breath. I didn't doubt that magic was real, if I did I would probably be in denial about my entire existence, but this was a little much. I laid back on my bed and waited for Shori to find the suit case. _"So, what happens now?" I asked myself.

* * *

Friend: The story line doesn't look too bad.

Me: It's not the story line that's the problem.

Friend: Then what is?

Me: DETAILS! I need to be correct on every detail or else I _will_ hear it from all those die-hard fans who like to complain!

Friend: . . . sorry . . .

Me: *brain clicks* THAT WAS YOU?

Friend: *runs away*


	2. Chapter 2

Me: ACK! I know it's short! But I was up until 3 in the morning so be grateful!

Friend: I _am _grateful.

Me: You don't act it!

* * *

It was fun, being in England. The sun was shining, my mom was happy and I was headed to a school of witchcraft and wizardry. Is anyone else finding something wrong with this picture? _Just keep smiling, Yuri. Just keep smiling_. I told myself. I looked over at Murata and Shori, who were completely ignoring each other while my mother was just running around buying whatever souvenirs she could get her hands on. I sighed at how tired this was making me.

"Yu-chan! Yu-chan! Come try this on! Oh~! Ken-chan, that suits you perfectly! Sho-chan, don't frown like that! You'll get wrinkles!" I sweat dropped a bit before trying to coax my mother into letting me go on my own. "Uh, mom. I'm going to see if I can get my school supplies. So, I'll see you later!" my mother looked at me before saying, "Alright, Yu-chan, but don't forget to bring Ken-chan. Oh, and call me when your finished." My mother had provided me with a cell phone before we left, just in case I got lost. "I'm going to!" Shori said with that plain stubbornness in his voice.

I was thankful that Murata stepped in. "Mama-san! I think Sho-chan would like to try on some more t-shirts!" My mom, being who she is, was overly excited and decided to drag Shori away to the nearest clothing shop. Murata was waving happily at them. I promised myself that I would never make Murata my enemy.

I looked down at my letter and scratched my head. "So, where to?" Murata just grinned at me. "The Leaky Cauldron. It's a wizard bar." I had learned never to question Murata as to how he knew this stuff. He was a 4000 year old Great Sage, after all. We walked our way into a darker part of town until we came to a strange tavern that everyone seemed to be ignoring. The sign clearly said, 'Leaky Cauldron', as to why we were going to a tavern for school supplies was a mystery to me.

Everyone seemed to stare at us when we walked in, Murata ignored them but I couldn't help but feel a little uncomfortable. We walked over to the bartender who seemed to be cleaning a glass. "Hello Tom!" The bartender looked him over before saying, "Reincarnated again?" It was a little surprising at how he knew who Murata was, but once again, it was Murata. I was NOT going to question him now. "Yup~!" Murata chimed happily. "Well, I'll be heading to Diagon Alley now!" Tom just seemed to grunt and nod as Murata led himself into the back of the shop.

Pretty soon we were facing a brick wall. "Not that I don't trust you, but where's the alley?" My near-sighted friend grinned as he lightly tapped the brick wall. In a matter of seconds it parted ways to reveal a busy street filled with odd stores and people in robes. Murata led me down the street as he began pointing toward all the different shops. "I think we'll get you a wand first, but first let's head to Gringotts." We approached a giant white bank that seemed to tower over us. I looked up at an inscription and read it.

_Enter, stranger, but take heed_

_Of what awaits the sin of greed,_

_For those who take, but do not earn,_

_Must pay most dearly in their turn._

_So if you seek beneath out floors_

_A treasure that was never yours,_

_Thief you have been warned, beware_

_Of finding more than treasure there._

I sweat dropped as I read it over. "Murata? Are you sure I have any money in this place?" Murata looked back and then up at the inscription. He thought about it a bit. "Did you look in the envelope for a key?" I shook my head and then took the paper out of my pocket. After a few shakes a small golden key fell into my hand. "I think you had a wizard relative who was also part of the demon tribe." he said simply as if he were thinking back, "Now that he's dead though, his inheritance goes toward you." I shrugged, I little unnerved at the thought, but let it go.

When the horror of the bank-running goblins was over. (yes, GOBLINS) We headed back into the busy alley and started looking at the different stores. The supplies list had two pages worth of stuff. One page toward books, the other toward items. "Here, I'll take the books list." said Murata as he took one of the pages out of my hand. "You don't need measurements or anything for those. I'll get them. You go around and get everything else." I was kind of nervous about being alone, but the alley didn't look that big. "We'll meet here after we've got all the supplies." He finished before running off somewhere. The way Murata was behaving was peculiar, but whatever it was he would tell me eventually.

I looked back at my list and sighed at my predicament. Getting the supplies would prove to be difficult, but I was also looking forward to it. I seemed a bit interesting, even if it was a little strange. I just wished that Murata hadn't left me alone. I looked forward at the crowd before me. I took a deep breath as I stepped forward, eager to get everything I needed.

* * *

Me: Gimme a BREAK! I NEED SLEEP!

Friend: Then go to bed!

Me: Finally . . . some . . . sleep . . .

Friend: DON'T SLEEP HERE!


	3. Chapter 3

Me: YAY! A LONG CHAPTER! I FEEL SOO ACCOMPLISED!

Friend: Yeah, yeah

* * *

The first thing I went to do was go get some new cloths. I felt horribly out of place. Apparently robes were a general fashion no matter how hot it was. I stood there in my blue t-shirt with knee-high shorts and a pair of sandals. The only thing even cluing in that I was magical was my money-filled pouch at my side. I remembered what Murata had told me about the coins.

*Flashback*

"_The gold ones are the Galleons. There are seventeen silver Sickles to a Galleon, while there are twenty-nine bronze Knuts to a Sickle." he said as we were taking out a reasonable amount of money from the coin-filled vault. I was shocked as to how much money I possessed in the Wizardly world. It wasn't nearly as much as what I had as the Demon King, but growing up in an average family environment with average income it wasn't exactly something you got used to._

"_Um, Murata?" I asked as we left my vault for his. "What was my ancestor's, uh, occupation. I mean to earn that much . . . ." The Great Sage looked thoughtful for a minute before answering. "I think he was an Auror, if I remember correctly." I was as confused as ever. "What's an Auror?" I asked, I was actually I little afraid of knowing. "A Dark Wizard catcher. You can think of them as bounty hunters, or more like police without much formal training." I nodded before allowing him to go on. "Auror's are few in numbers nowadays. I'm pretty sure most of them have retired by now." I raised an eyebrow. "But if they're like the police, shouldn't they be keeping order?" Murata waved his hand, "Nah, there are other Wizards for that. Since the fall of the Dark Lord about . . .thirteen years ago? There haven't been many Dark Wizards for them to catch. No prey, no pay."_

_I wanted to ask him more, but at that point we had arrived at his vault. "Stay here, Shibuya. I won't be gone long." He jumped out of the cart and stepped back to let the Goblin open the vault with a key. I couldn't see what was in the vault, but when Murata came back he was carrying a small bag that was hanging on his shoulder. The Goblin locked the vault and then drove us out of the creepy dungeon-like place. _

_*End Flashback*_

I looked at the shop in front of me. Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasion. _Must be the place, _I thought as I walked in the shop. The woman (witch, I guessed) in front of me was squat and continually smiling. I smiled back, glad for the cheerfulness. "Hogwarts, dear?" she asked, and I nodded. Anissina's device was implanted in my ear so that I could understand and speak English. Thank god(?) for the Demon Kingdom.

"Well, come on." She said before rushing me into the back of the shop where there was another boy being fitted. I was pushed onto the chair and had a robe pulled over my head. The witch began pinning up the long robes so that they would fit me correctly. I honestly felt silly, standing there, but I tried not to show it on my face. "Um, excuse me?" I asked, unsure. The witch looked up for a brief second before looking back down to her work. "My letter said that I would be starting in my fourth year and that I needed dress robes. Do you suppose you could-?" I stopped as I noticed the other boy leaving.

I didn't even get to finish. The moment the witch was done with my normal robes, she immediately went to switching between one expensive cloth to another. It wasn't like I couldn't afford the cloth's it was just . . . . The witch (who I learned was Ms. Malkin) decided to continue the conversation. "Fourth year, dear? And you said you would be starting? Are you a transfer student?" I was glad at the breaking of silence. "Well, yes. I've been magical my entire life but there aren't any Wizarding Schools where I come from." I responded, trying to remember all that Murata had told me. I was glad for the Sage's logic.

"No Wizarding Schools? My, you must come from somewhere far away." I laughed a bit, "If by 'far away' you mean the other side of the world." The middle-ages woman raised an eyebrow. "Where exactly are you from? I can't hear an accent." I smiled at her, "Japan, we all learn English in school. It's like a second language." I was trying to explain my lack of accent to her. She continued to busy herself in my robes as she continued talking, "Japan? I don't know many wizards from there. I heard it was an interesting country. Especially the muggles . . ."

I let her go on like that as I stared into space. I started thinking of back home . . . Not my home in Japan, but my home in the Demon Kingdom. I missed Greta, Conrad, Gunter, heck I even missed Wolfram and Gwendal." Maybe I would go visit them soon. I could always come back . . . "Dear? I want you to look in the mirror and tell me what you think." I turned to look at the full-body mirror. The dress robes she provided me were beautiful, I had to say. They were black, as most of my things were, but the edges of the sleeves and collar had a blue rim. The same blue as my necklace.

I lifted my hand so that I could move the top robes and see what was underneath. More blue, I smiled. "It's beautiful, but it looks so expensive . . . ." I trailed off, the witch nodded in agreement. "The black was weaved from mermaid hair while the blue came from a rare species of unicorn mane, but-" she trailed off as she gave me a full examination. "I don't know anyone who would look as good in it as you. It goes well with your necklace as well."

In the end, she just wouldn't except normal payment. She kept giving me a price that I knew couldn't be right. I caved in the end, but left a few extra Galleons to show my gratitude. I decided to move around in my normal cloths though. It was hot and I wasn't really willing to put on something that black in this heat. I moved from store to store, getting all the supplies I needed until the only things left were a pet and a wand. I walked up to another store that said, Eeylops Owl Emporium. There was a note on my letter in Murata's handwriting that it might be best to get an owl, they were the most useful.

The moment I walked in, all the obvious noise that was coming from the cages owls had died down. I sweat dropped as I remembered my take on strange animals. _I just hope I don't meet another dragon,_ I thought, nervously. Hey, if wizard's exist then why couldn't dragons? I knew they existed in the Demon Kingdom but I wasn't sure about here.

I looked around for an owl that I thought I could bond with the most. It got me thinking as to whether there were different types of owls. I jumped as I heard the shopkeeper behind me opened a cage. "Um excuse me?" I asked nervously. The shopkeeper looked a me, waiting. "What would be a good owl for long distance letters?" I wanted to write to my family as much as possible. "How far do you intend to send the letters." I scratched my head nervously, "Uh, Japan?"

For the next hour we were looking over owls that would be able to fly that far an back. There weren't that many but out of the variety I only saw one I liked. It was a light brown, and when it opened it's eyes I could see that they were a strange blue. _They remind me of someone's . . ._ I trailed off in my mind before I thought of who it was. _Alford_! I smiled as I thought about my old friend with the Holy Sword. Unlike all the other owls who had taken to me immediately, this one was a little skeptical. I watched as it turned around to reveal a black stripe down it's back.

"You might not want that one. No one has been able to tame him." the shopkeeper said absentmindedly as he turned to feel another owl. I didn't listen, I placed a finger in-between the cage bars so that I could get the owl's attention. It glared at me but didn't move. I gave it a sad smile. _Just like how the humans first treated me . . ._ I remembered the time when I had rocks thrown at me, and then another when an entire army had wanted to execute me in front of everyone else.

While I was reminiscing, the owl seemed to notice me. It hopped over and gave me a curious look. It nipped my finger, as if trying to wake me from my daze. It worked and I gave it a grateful look. It might not have loved me like the other owls but I could feel that we had reached an understanding. A friendship more than a relationship between master and pet. "I'll take this one." I said as I pulled my finger back. If the shopkeeper was surprised, he didn't show it. Instead, I paid and took the owl away with some advice on how to care for it. "I think I'll call you Al." I said, smiling happily at my new friend.

The last thing on my list was a wand. I looked for the shop that Murata had pointed out before we went to Gringotts. It was a small shop, you could barely see it. At the top it read, 'Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C. I glowered at the unbelievable year. I shook my head, not wanting to even think about it.

When I stepped in there was a single ring from a bell. I looked around the dusty old shop. There was a desk with an unusually large, empty book on top of it while shelves covered the entire shop. On the shelves were boxes, all at least a foot long and four inches wide. I coughed as dust was flying everywhere. It looked like no one had cleaned in here for years.

"Ah, what a strange young man." A man had suddenly appeared over the desk. He had crazy white hair, that matched his wrinkles, and yet he looked lively at the same time. His eyes were pretty creepy, seeing as how they were a misty, gray-blue. It was as if they could see right through me. "Yuri Shibuya, correct?" I swallowed and nodded. How did he know my name? "I was wondering when someone from your family line would be coming. Your ancestor, ah! I remember it like it was only yesterday! You look a lot like him, in fact." I wasn't even going to ask how he knew my _ancestor_ of all people.

"Well, then. Let's get started." Mr. Ollivander went to a shelf and started looking through the boxes, as if trying to find the specific one he needed. "Here we are!" he said, taking a brown box off the shelf and opening it. There was a . . . stick inside the box. I could only guess it was a wand. It looked ordinary but as I looked closer I could see that there was a faint handle. He gestured for me to take it and I complied. "Well, go on! Wave it!" He said excitedly. I did, and then a few shelves collapsed. Oops. "No, no." He said as he took the wand from me and placed it on the desk. He then went to the other side of the store to get another box, which contained another wand. This one didn't work out so well either.

Pretty soon, the desk as to where he was placing the wands was full. The shopkeeper only looked more and more excited as we tried out a new wand. I was starting to get worried that there might not be a wand for me after all. Until he pulled out a single red box. Up until now there had only been brown, black and dark green boxes. This one was a striking blood-red, and for the first time when the man started pulling these wands out, he hesitated. "I'm not sure . . . ." he said before turning to me.

I tilted my head a bit in exhaustion. I was curious about the box but I never really was one to ask things unless the person looked friendly. Not many witches and wizards did, unfortunately. Mr. Ollivander came up to me with the bright red box and opened it. Inside, there was a dark purple wand with an odd handle. If you looked closely, you could see that there were two feathers on either side. The wand was about eleven inches and it contained a supple look. "Purple Heart Wood." He said as if answering my confusion. "Before you touch this wand, you must know. There are _two _cores within it." I remembered him telling my that normally a wand would have one of three cores. Unicorn hairs, phoenix tail feathers, or the heartstrings of a dragon "Purple Heart Wood very difficult to control because it is said to be a Wizard's tree." I nodded, trying to understand. "For it to be _contained _within a wand form there had to be two cores, but two different cores can contradict one another. They can fight for power over the other. Only someone who can have balance within their mind and heart can completely control this wand. If not, then it could become useless, or even worse, dangerous."

I was a little scared at taking the wand, I didn't want to take it without full understanding. "Um, just wondering, but why are you choosing me to test this wand out?" Misty blue eyes set themselves on me for a minute before answering. "Your ancestor, bless his soul, was able to control a similar wand." I looked at him, waiting for him to continue. "It was also of Purple Heart, thus it needed two cores. His cores were those of two dragon heartstrings. While this one," Mr. Ollivander said as he lifted the wand. "Contains two phoenix tail feathers." I looked at the feathers engraved in the handle. "There are only three Purple Heart wands in the world, Mr. Shibuya. The last one, with two unicorn hairs, went to someone known as the Great Sage." I sweat dropped as I heard the name. _I expected as much,_ I mentally sighed.

My hand was taken and the wand was place inside of it. I felt it, my Demon Tribe magic was rising through my stomach. I breathed in. It was the same feeling I got whenever I went into Demon King-mode. Only I could _control _it. My hair grew down to my shoulders for a split second and then back again. The magic subsided and I breathed out. "Well, well. It looked like we have a winner!" After that, my wand was placed back into it's red container and wrapped. The cost was about eight Galleons, to which I paid for happily.

I shuffled out the door, relieved to finally get my wand. I wanted to rest. It had been a really long day. I walked back to the entrance of Gringotts to see Murata sitting on the steps and reading something. I was too tired to ask what. "Sorry, I'm late." I was silently grateful to Murata for getting my books for me, I seriously didn't want to shop anymore.

The Great Sage looked up at me and smiled, "Well, look at all the luggage you got there. Don't worry, I suspected this." He pulled something out of his pocket. It was a small pouch that could easily be wrapped around my wrist. "How is that going to help?" I asked, a little bit irritated. "Your books are already inside of it." He said simply as I grabbed it with one hand. I looked inside to see a small room with two bookshelves, a desk, and a cabinet. Magic was seriously freaking me out.

"That cost a lot, but I figured it would be a good birthday present." My book-reading friend said. "Wow . . . It's like my own personal study." He rolled his eyes. "Yes, that's what it is! Don't worry though, when you want to go inside the pouch will turn into a trap door so you can climb in, but you can only go inside when you have a flat surface as to where you can place the trap door. It can be a wall or patch of floor. I wouldn't suggest the ceiling though." I laughed a bit at his joke before carefully placing my cauldron, crystal phials, telescope, brass scales and wand inside. I was a bit nervous about putting Al in there but Murata told me that the room didn't move around when the pouch did.

I wanted to put my trunk in there but he said to leave it out. It was a form of Hogwarts student identification apparently. What I also discovered about the pouch was that I could open it and appear anywhere in the room I wished to be. If I needed something from my desk then I would simply open the pouch so that I was facing it. (It was pushed up to the wall) I could also open it behind the bookshelves to grab whatever I needed. I seriously loved this thing. "I really don't know what to say Murata . . . ." he nodded in a happy way before consulting me on one more thing. "Look, Shibuya. You have to know that most fourth years are fourteen years old." I nodded, I had figured that out while shopping. "Your sixteen now, but don't tell anyone that, because of your traveling between this world and the Demon Kingdom your aging had been affected." I wanted to groan, I knew this was coming. "From now on, you'll be aging slowly. Not as slow as the Demon's from the Demon Kingdom, but enough so that people will notice. When you go to school, remember that you are fourteen or fifteen. I don't think it really matters."

This got me thinking about whatever school work I needed to catch up on. "Uh, Murata? I honestly don't think I'll be able to keep up with everyone." He looked at me before pondering over this problem. "Hm, I was thinking about this too, and I decided to share some of my knowledge with you before school started. It's still just July, so we have time, but I think I'll just insert the information into your head. That way you can spend the rest of the summer relaxing." I gulped, the last time someone gave me information like that, or at least awakened my soul. It hurt like hell. I really didn't want to know what years worth of information was going to feel like, but I guess I could give it a try.

Murata looked at his wrist watch and then said, "Let's go find your mother and brother. I'm sure they're going to want to spend some time with you, considering your not really going to see then for the rest of the year." I blinked, it had just occurred to me that I wasn't going to see my family for an entire year! (Except for holidays) I would have to write often. "Well, I'm beat. So let's go!" I said, as I started walking back to the Leaky Cauldron. This was going to be an interesting year.

* * *

Me: I love Purple Heart wood, it looks so cool!

Friend: Isn't it supposed to be the hardest wood in the world?

Me: That's what she said.

Friend: Can you get any more immature than that?

Me: Yes. *no hesitation*


	4. Chapter 4

Me: YAY! *Happy dance*

Friend: Your dancing sucks!

Me: SHUT UP!

* * *

I stood in front of King's Cross with my mother in front of me. She had tears in her eyes and I couldn't help but feel guilty. "Yuri-schnuckums . . . ." she said in a sad voice as she hugged me. I had never seen my mom like this before and it was sort of a shock. I glanced at Shori and Dad over Mom's shoulder. They looked just as surprised as I was. "Dear," My Dad said softly to my mother, "Don't worry, he's been through worse." She let me go, but the tears from her eyes wouldn't go away. "B-b-but I have this _terrible _feeling! Yu-chan, please be careful!" I nodded, thankful for my mom's concern.

I looked over at Shori who was also rethinking about this whole school thing, even if he was the one who pushed the whole issue. "Maybe this isn't such a good idea . . . ." I heard him mumble. I gave him a hard look. If he was making me go through this, then by _God(?)_ I was going to go through it. "The future Demon King of Earth cannot be thinking such things." I said simply, knowing that he wouldn't argue further. I looked toward my dad last and nodded. We never really had much communication with my father since I became Demon King, but something told me that I didn't need to. He knew, he always knew me best.

I turned around to a waiting Murata and smiled a bit. It was going to be lonely without my family, but at least I could manage through with Murata. I dragged my trunk through the stations as I looked down at my ticket.

_Hogwarts Express_

_Platform 9 ¾_

I stopped myself. Was there a such thing as platform nine and three-quarters? I sighed at myself as I continued to follow Murata through the crowd. We soon came to the wall between 'nine' and 'ten'. "Um, Murata?" I couldn't even finish before I saw him simply walked _through _the wall. I blinked before shaking my head. _The hell?_ I decided to just go through with it. I walked straight at the wall, not even hesitating. That didn't mean I was scared though.

When I got through, all I could do was stare that the magnifying train in front of me. The Hogwarts Express. The engine was scarlet and it looked like it had never been used before. A cloud of steam came from it as it blew it's horn. It felt like I was looking at a life-size toy train. There were other students and parents there to say goodbye as owls flew and hooted overhead. Murata was waiting patiently for me as I marveled at the sight.

Suddenly, an old red-orange color caught my eye. There was an unusually large family, all with red hair, gathered together. The only two people that seemed to be only friends of the family were a bushy-brown headed girl and a skinny, black-headed boy. I averted my eyes back to the train as I heard another whistle blow. Murata ushered me forward, trying to get me to move. I did, of course. I didn't want to miss the train.

It was odd how everyone seemed to avoid us as Murata and I got our own compartment. "Don't worry about it." Murata said, noticing my look. "Everyone's just got friends they want to sit with, and we're strangers remember?" I smiled at him, but still, it was a little lonely. After a while, Murata just fell asleep reading a book and I sweat dropped at the situation.

We were sitting there in silence for a minute before I heard a crash. Murata didn't move, but I immediately popped my head out to see what happened. One of the sliding doors of the compartment next to us had broken, (They were made of glass) and the glass was . . .fixing itself. I walked down the train and peer into the compartment to see one of the red-haired boys along with the bushy-haired girl and the boy with jet-black hair. I was nervous so I tried to clear my throat before I opened the compartment door.

"Excuse me?" I asked, trying to be polite as possible. "My friend is sleeping and I hope that it's not too much trouble for you to keep it down." I got dagger-glares from the red-haired one as the bushy-haired one simply apologized. "No problem." said the boy with back hair as he rose his eyes to meet mine. I was shocked to see myself staring at a pair of striking green eyes. "Your name is-?" he started to ask before I caught myself starting. "OH! Um, how rude of me. I'm Yuri Shibuya. Sorry about that, what was your name?" The boy seemed both stunned and relieved at the same time. I couldn't fathom why. "I'm Harry, Harry Potter."

I smiled at his kindness before bowing a bit more. "If you excuse me, I think I'm going back to my compartment now." I shifted a bit before walked out and back to the safety of where Murata was. I didn't know why but it seemed awkward to be with these people. "Are you from Durmstrang?" The brown haired girl asked. I stopped at the door a minute before answering. "Uh, no? I'm actually a transfer student . . . ." I scratched my head sheepishly.

All three were now staring at me. "Wow, there aren't many transfer students." the red-haired one said absently. He seemed to roll through events in his mind. "Whoa, I don't think we've had _any _transfer students before. What's your year, mate?"

"Y-year four." I said uncertainly.

"Just like us! Have you completed the summer homework?" asked the girl.

"Uh, no. The headmaster said that it would be better for me to start out fresh." I said remembering the letter.

"Dumbledore? That sounds like him." said the red-head.

The black-haired boy only seemed to nod in response but I could tell that something was on his mind. "Are you all right Harry?" I asked, trying to snap him out of it. He shook his head before focusing in on me. "Oh! Yeah, I'm fine." I gave him a skeptical look but then went on with the conversation.

"I should go now. Thank you for the chat." I grimaced as I realized that I was being 'kingly' polite from one of my lessons with Gunter. I was about to leave when I forgot something, "Oh! I feel really rude. What were your names?" The two looked at me and blinked a bit before answering. "I'm Hermione Granger." said the girl. "Ron Weasley." said the red-headed boy. I smiled and headed back to my compartment. On my way out I accidentally ran into a group of boys.

"I'm sorry!" I said before trying to get by, but one of the bigger boys stopped me. "Running into me and then simply _leaving _without some kind of apology is quite rude you know." I blinked, _did they not hear me?_ I looked over at the speaker. It was a skinny, bleach-blond haired boy with cold eyes. He had this air of a noble around him and he was terribly rude. It was like I was staring at Wolfram's twin. I was starting to get freaked out about this whole thing.

I straightened myself up, not wanting to get into trouble with these three. I had learned that King's were supposed to proudly and calmly apologize if they were ever wrong or rude. I did a slight boy with one hand on my chest, the other at my side. I narrowed my eyes as I continued to say, "I apologize for my rude actions, but as you can see I am in a hurry so would you ever so kindly let me through." Even with my bowing, and pose I knew there was still an air of obvious superiority.

The boys were so taken aback that they got out of my way immediately. I lifted my head and walked calmly back to my compartment. They quickly shuffled away, not even looking at me as they passed. I smirked. Murata was staring at me the whole time. I sighed, knowing that he had seen the entire thing. "That was a nice 'Demon King' act." I glared at him a bit before taking my seat. "Don't get funny." I said as I leaned back. "I don't want any rumors." He chuckled at he watched me lean back. "Don't worry, there will be rumors. You're the famous transfer student remember?" I groaned, as he simply threw his head back to laugh.

"Yeah, yeah and what are you going to school for anyway?" I asked, knowing that he couldn't possibly be a student. "I'm an . . .observer of sorts." I yawned, I wasn't about to push an issue that Murata didn't want to talk about. "Alright, but your still helping me with my homework." he laughed as I leaned back on the seat and closed my eyes. "I'll wake you up when were there, but before you sleep I think you should change." I opened my eyes again and then nodded, knowing he was right. I closed the curtains over the glass door and changed into my black robes.

I had to admit that these were a lot more comfortable than my normal cloths, I could sleep well in these. I went back to resting as Murata changed as well. The train was rocking but not horribly. The only real disturbance was the falling rain outside. I closed my eyes and easily fell asleep as a whistle blew in the distance.


	5. Chapter 5

Me: Sorry about the wait, I meant to post this sooner.

Friend: Yeah, right. Your just lazy.

Me: Shut up, Slytherin.

Friend: Oh yeah? Well at least I'm not in Gryffindor.

Me: You know, Gryffindor is the preferred House?

Friend: Yes, but you can't be evil . . . *evil smile*

Me: DAMMIT!

* * *

"Shibuya. Shibuya!" I heard a distant voice call my name. The voice went along with a constant shaking. I lifted my heavy eyelids to see Murata standing over me. "We're going to be there in about five minutes, so wake up already!" I groaned as I sat up from my dreamless sleep. "Why?" I whined a bit before rubbing my eyes.

Murata blinked at me before saying, "Well, because I've been trying to get you up for ten minutes and I don't want you falling asleep again." I yawned as I tried to shake the sleepiness away from me. Normally I was a light sleeper, so this tiredness thing wasn't really checking out with me.

Murata sat down and gave me a look and I knew another explanation was coming. "Shibuya, you got to know that your not going to go up to the school with the rest of the students. You're a transfer, so we need to see a teacher first."I groaned. A teacher, why was I not surprised? Oh yeah, I was _willingly _going to a school. "And remember to call them 'Professor' instead of 'Teacher' or 'Sensei', if you would." I nodded, new culture, new rules. It was really sad that I was used to this by now. I thought of all the times I've had to get used to a different culture due to what Gunter calls my 'reckless traveling'.

"Anyway," the Great Sage continued. "Your going to be prepped on what schools going to be like and so on but I have to warn you-" Murata lowered his voice to a certain degree, "I don't know what exactly is going to happen but my old friend, who I told you about, said that since you are a transfer student, and are now seventeen," I nodded, still not used to being seventeen since my birthday in July. "You may have to participate in a tournament." I gapped at him, unsure of what to say. A tournament? What in the world could possess people to make him join a tournament?

"The fact that you are transferring at such an age will put you in danger. If anyone were to find out your true age then we would have to problems." I tilted my head in confusion, Murata sighed. "In this world, when you turn seventeen you are legally considered an adult. Only people who are of the age of seventeen are allowed to enter, do you understand?" I considered this new information, "So, because I am an adult I have the possibility of being forced to enter the tournament?"

Murata shook his head, "You're half right. Being seventeen is just the tip of the iceberg, its also the fact that you are a transfer student."

"What does that have anything to do with it?" I demanded.

"At Hogwarts, there is a lot of magic in the air. So much to a point where it practically _chooses_ the students. You see, first years aren't considered a Hogwarts student until they have been there for at least three months. They need to '_unite'_ with the magic, so to speak. It's kind of like making a contract with the elements." I nodded, that made more sense, but I still didn't understand. "In this tournament there are going to be people from different schools participating, and I'm afraid that they might read you as someone from a different school. Thus, you may be forced to participate."

I let go of the breath that I hadn't known that I had been holding onto. Questions started forming in my head but before I got a chance to ask them the train came to a stop. "Well," Murata said as he got up. "Time to go. Just leave your luggage, I'm sure that they'll just bring it up to your room." I nodded as I rose to my feet.

The 'school' turned out to be a castle. How was I _not_ shocked by this? Oh yeah, I was the Demon King. Oh, joy. It was dark but there were candles and lanterns _floating,_ I repeat, _floating, _around. I could only see the castle in the distance though, as a greasy-haired man had walked towards us to silently, I thought he was some sort of ghost.

The man was frowning at me. He contained black hair and eyes while a huge nose rested upon his face. _I wonder if he knows that he is part of the Demon Tribe?_ It was common knowledge to me that anyone on Earth with black hair and eyes had at least a drop of Demon blood in them, but many of these people believed to be human. Not that there was any difference.

"Follow me." said the man as he turned around at the sight of us. I looked at Murata as he only shrugged and followed with no complaints. This person obviously had some authority, so I was not one to argue. I followed through the dark, tripping over some rocks here and there but I was used to that sort of thing. Traveling wasn't exactly luxurious, even if you did have a horse.

The man stopped so suddenly that I almost ran into him. "Grab onto my arm." I sweat-dropped but did as told. I looked over at Murata who was waving happily at me. "See you later, Shibuya!" I opened my mouth to protest but then I got the feeling of being in a vacuum. The sensation was horrible and I was starting to feel sick to my stomach. I gagged, but it was over as soon as it began so I could stop myself from throwing up. "Warning . . .next . . .time . . .please . . ." I said weakly as I hugged my stomach. The man simply sneered at me before turning his attention elsewhere.

It was then that I realized we were in a _room_ and not _outside._ I whirled my head around to see that it was an office, complete with a desk and fireplace. What was really curious about it was the bird that was perched right in the middle of it. It was very large and had a fire-red color to it. _Look's cool._ I thought as I found myself staring at it.

"Professor Dumbledore." said the greasy-haired man with a cool voice. Couldn't he be more cheerful? I looked over at who he was addressing to see an aged man sitting in the chair behind the desk. He had a green robe on with swirls all over it. I looked up at his matching hat and nearly doubled over in laughter. I contained myself though, just barely.

He had half-moon glasses and his eyes were twinkling like a child's despite his obvious age. "Welcome Mr. Shibuya. I trust that you had a comfortable journey." I straightened myself up a bit and started scratching the back of my head. "Ah, yeah. Despite the train being a bit slow," _and the whole vacuum thing, _"everything was perfectly fine." I watched as an eyebrow lifted itself from his face. "Slow? I was under the impression that our train was one of the fastest in England." I laughed a bit nervously, did I offend him? "Well, there are faster ones in Japan, called bullet trains, and they're really fast."

The man looked thoughtful for a minute before saying, "Hm, yes. I would be most intrigued to try one of these 'bullet trains'. Muggles are so mysterious." I cringed a bit. I didn't know what the word 'Muggle' meant but for some reason it felt weird. "No matter. I assume that you are up to our curriculum, Mr. Shibuya." I nodded, thank God(?) for Murata's knowledge. "Then I suppose we should make haste." He said as he lifted himself out of the chair and came to stand in front of me. "If you would, Mr. Shibuya." he said as he held out his arm. I suppressed a groan as I grabbed it and went through the vacuum feeling once again.

This time we ended up in an even larger room. There were four tables lined up in a row, that could easily hold a thousand students, while a fifth was placed higher than the rest and staring down at the others. Each of the four tabled had a banner above them. _Must be for teachers._ I reasoned with myself. I looked over to see Dumbledore seated at the grandest chair in the room. Obviously reserved for the headmaster. He motioned for me to come stand by him, at which I complied to immediately.

A minute later, teachers came in from the smaller doors, while students started piling in from the two main doors at the front. They all took their respective seats and seemed to be waiting for something. A moment later, I stern-looking teacher came in with several other smaller students trailing behind her. She motioned for them to stand at the side before moving a stool in-between the student and teacher tables. She placed a hat on the stool and stepped back as the strangest thing happened. The hat began to sing:

_A thousand years or more ago_

_When I was newly sewn,_

_There lived four wizards of renown,_

_Whose names are still well-known:_

_Bold Gryffindor, from wild moor,_

_Fair Ravenclaw, from glen,_

_Sweet Hufflepuff, from valley broad,_

_Shrewd Slytherin, from fen,_

_They shared a wish, a hope, a dream,_

_They hatched a daring plan_

_To educate young sorcerers_

_Thus Hogwarts School began._

_Now each of these four founders_

_Formed their own house, for each_

_Did value different virtues_

_In the ones they had to teach._

_By Gryffindor, the bravest were_

_Prized far beyond the rest;_

_For Ravenclaw, the cleverest_

_Would always be the best;_

_For Hufflepuff, hard workers were_

_Most worthy of admission;_

_And power-hungry Slytherin_

_Loved those of great ambition._

_While still alive they did divide_

_Their favorites from the throng,_

_Yet how to pick the worthy ones_

_When they were dead and gone?_

'_Twas Gryffindor who found the way,_

_He whipped me off his head_

_The founders put some brains in me_

_So I could choose instead!_

_Now slip me snug about your ears._

_I've never yet been wrong,_

_I'll have a look inside your mind_

_And tell where you belong!_

_That was just creepy,_ I thought to myself as I watched the woman pull out a scroll and directed her attention to the smaller students who have not yet been seated. "When I call out your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool, when the hat announces your House, you will go and sit at the appropriate table."

She pulled out a scroll and started listing off names.

"Ackerley, Stewart!" the trembling boy took a seat on the stool as the woman placed the hat on hid head.

"RAVENCLAW!"

"Baddock, Malcolm!"

"SLYTHERIN!"

"Branstone, Eleanor!"

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

"Cauldwell, Owen!"

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

"Creevy, Dennis!" this boy was smaller than the rest and he staggered a bit as he stepped forward.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

I spaced out a bit as the sorting continued, wondering what I should do. I shifted my weight a bit as I sighed and tried to concentrate on the sorting but I only really started paying attention toward the end.

"Pritchard, Graham!"

"SLYTHERIN!"

"Quirke, Orla!"

"RAVENCLAW!"

"Whitby, Kevin!"

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

My stomach ached in hunger, I hadn't eaten anything on the train and I was wondering when they were actually going to serve us food. I waited a bit before Dumbledore rose and began his speech, "Before we begin, we have one more sorting." Nobody said anything, but I could tell that they were anxious for food. Why could he have fit me in with the first years. Dumbledore motioned for me to step forward to which I did.

"Mr. Shibuya here is a transfer student from Japan. I would have you all to welcome him properly. Now go on!" He said as he motioned for me to walked over to the stool. I hesitated for a bit before walking over and taking a seat. The stern-looking woman placed the hat on my head and in an instant I knew something was wrong. Someone was there! INSIDE my mind.

"Oh," whispered the hat in my ear, "You can sense me, how clever. You are very interesting, your Highness." I shivered as he looked through my adventures. "Hmm, not overly bright, Ravenclaw will not do. Slytherin is out of the question. All there is left is Hufflepuff and Gryffindor. You belong in both, do you have a prefrence?" I looked around the room in panic, hoping to find a familiar face. It felt like I was back in the Demon Kingdom for the first time.

I spotted three people at the Gryffindor table, the ones I had met on the train. "There, eh? I guess one can't make do without friends." The hat said before yelling, "GRYFFINDOR!"

I jumped from my seat and removed the hat as quickly as possible. I glanced at the stern-teacher before making my way to the table. Dumbledore rose to his feet again as I sat down. "I have only two words to say to you," He said with his voice echoing in the hall. "_Tuck in."

* * *

_

Me: Yuri's too nice for his own good. In my opinion he should belong in Hufflepuff, but then there's his Demon-King mode to consider, that's why I had him make the choice.

Friend: So, if he hadn't met the 'Golden trio' then he would have been in Hufflepuff?

Me: Most likely, but I needed him to be in Gryffindor for this fic anyway so, it doesn't matter.

Friend: Yeah, right . . .


	6. Chapter 6

Me: Hmm, longer than usual. I guess it helps to have a reference in my face.

Friend: Wait, you're reading the book while writing this?

Me: Yeah, so?

Friend: I thought you sucked at multitasking?

Me: I do.

Friend: And . . . ?

Me: 'And' what?

Friend: Never mind

* * *

My jaw almost fell off my face as I watched the empty plates filled themselves up with food. I watched as the other Gryffindors around me piled their own plates with food. I tried to pick out the foods that were most familiar to me, but most of the dishes were foreign to me. I was starting to want my mother's curry all over again. "Not hungry?" asked a ghostly figure that appeared right next to me. I nearly jumped out of my skin as I turned my head to see the ghost of a man. Japanese superstitions started running through my head. _If he going to curse me? What if he takes my soul? _

The ghost seemed to notice, "Not to worry, young man. I am Sir Nicholas, ghost of Gryffindor. As you can see there is a ghost for each house," He said gesturing toward the other ghosts who had appeared out of nowhere. "O-oh?" I said trying to regain my composure, "I'm sorry, it's just that there are many superstitions about ghosts in Japan and not many of them are pleasant." I looked back at my mostly-empty plate. "As for your first question, I am hungry, but these dishes are so foreign to me that I'm a little skeptical about eating them."

I glanced at the ghost who looked deep in thought for a minute, "I would try those, and maybe those." He said pointing to a few dishes. "Stay away from that, it's too strong for someone who's not used to our tastes. That should keep you up for tonight. If you would like, I could ask the cooks to prepare some familiar foods." I nodded gratefully at Sir Nicolas. I could eat some curry! Or maybe ramen . . .haven't had that in a while. Sushi sounded good too. "If it's not too much trouble." I said sheepishly.

"No problem, Mr. Shibuya. I understand the pain of watching other's eat but not being able to eat myself." I sweat dropped at the comment. _Well, he is a ghost._ I laughed a bit, not knowing what else to say. The ghost then turned his attention to a few other Gryffindors who were practically inhaling their food. I smiled as I recognized them as Harry and Ron.

"You're lucky there's a feast at all tonight, you know," said Sir Nicholas. "There was trouble in the kitchens earlier." I started to carefully cut up my steak as I listened to the conversation. "Why? Wha' 'appened?" said Harry as he was trying to chew a rather large piece of steak.

"Peeves, of course," said the ghost, shaking his head. I had to take a double take as I watched the head wobble, as if it were about to fall off. "The usual argument, you know. He wanted to attend the feast - well, it's quite out of the question, you know what he's like, utterly uncivilized, can't see a plate of food without throwing it. We held a ghost's council - the Fat Friar was all for giving him a chance - but most unwisely, in my opinion, the Bloody Baron put his foot down."

I leaned over to a boy who was next to me. "Who's the Bloody Baron?" The boy turned to me with a look that obvious said, "Your crazy." When he took in my face he quickly changed it to answer my question. "OH! You're the transfer student. Sorry about that, thought you were- well, um, never mind. The Bloody Baron is Slytherin's ghost." He said the word 'Slytherin' with a certain distaste, to which made me confused, but I decided to ignore it.

"Yeah, we thought Peeves seemed hacked off about something," said Ron in a dark manor, "So what did he do in the kitchens?" Griffindor's ghost shrugged, "Oh the usual, wreaked havoc and mayhem. Pots and pans everywhere. Place swimming in soup. Terrified the house-elves out of their wits-"

_Clang!_

I watched as juice started spilling from a fallen golden goblet and onto the tablecloth. I looked over at the one who dropped it only to see that it was Hermione. That was a surprise, she seemed like the civil one when eating.

"There are house-elves _here?_" she said, starring, horror-stuck, at Sir Nicolas. "Here at _Hogwarts?_" I knew what house-elves were. I had read about them. They were these small-like, elven creatures who were voluntary slaves. I didn't approve of slavery, I flinched at the thought of the Esoteric Stone mining fields in which they forced women to do all the work, but if you were doing work without pay because you wanted to then I didn't have a right to step in. I can't decided what people want to do with their lives, that wasn't the kind of king I wanted to be.

"Certainly," said the ghost beside me, looking at Hermione in surprise. "The largest number in any dwelling in Britain, I believe. Over a hundred."

"But I've never seen one!" Hermione argued.

"Well, they hardly ever leave the kitchen by day, do they?" The ghost said as if it were common knowledge. "They come out at night to do a bit of cleaning . . .see to the fires and so on. . . . I mean, you're not supposed to see them, are you? That's the mark of a good house-elf, isn't it, that you don't know it's there?" The stunned girl only stared at him.

"But they get _paid?_" she said. "They get _holidays,_ don't they? And - and sick leave, and pensions, and everything?" The ghost chortled so much that his ruff slipped and his head fell off. Well, not completely off, it was hanging by a piece of skin. I shuttered at the sight and averted my eyes, trying to keep myself calm. _So, it's true that the cause of death is shown in the spirit._ When I looked back up, Nicholas had already replaced his head.

"Sick leave and pensions?" he said in disbelief, "House-elves don't want sick leave and pensions!" I watched as Hermione put down her fork and pushed her food away.

"Oh c'mon, 'Er-my-knee," said Ron as he sprayed some sort of pudding onto Harry. "Oops - Sorry, 'Arry -" He swallowed. "You won't get them sick leave by starving yourself!" He had a point.

"Slave labor," she said with stubbornness edged into her voice. "That's what made this dinner. _Slave labor._" I tilted my eyes down to the food on my plate. It was delicious, everything had been perfectly and carefully made. I understood Hermione's view on the situation with the house elves but . . . "It's kind of a waist." I said as I picked at my own food, the others just looked at me with. Hermione with anger, the other two with confusion. "I mean, they worked so hard to prepare it, and despite the fact that it was slave labor," I said quickly before I got on Hermione's bad side. "They really did finish this meal skillfully and carefully, just so that we could enjoy it. Aren't you denying them the fruits of their hard work by not eating?"

I light seemed to go through her eyes as she pondered over this, but I knew it wouldn't work, she was just too stubborn. Like many other people I know. "I'm not hungry." she said simply as he turned her head away from me. I sighed. "It was a good try, mate." said Ron as he continued eating. Hermione refused to eat another bite.

I finished my meal and waited as the ceiling (that was not raining) flashed and replaced what was left in the golden plates with treats of all kinds. Ron seemed to take advantage of the opportunity, "Treacle tart, Hermione!" said Ron, waving the delicious smell into Hermione's face. "Spotted dick, look!" I nearly chocked on my pumpkin juice as I heard that one. "Chocolate gateau!"

The girl glared at him. I froze as I recognized that type of glare. _It's like a female Gwendal._ I shivered at the thought of Gwendal in a dress and heels, and put the image away in my mind for when I needed a good laugh. Then again, after seeing Yosak in a dress so many times, I wouldn't be too surprised.

The deserts then disappeared, leaving only sparking clean, golden plates. Professor Dumbledore rose to his feet again, almost immediately silencing the chatter that took place. "So!" The headmaster said, smiling at everyone in the room. "Now that we are all fed and watered," Hermione 'Hmph!'ed and drummed her fingers on the table. "I must once more ask for your attention, while I give out a few notices.

"Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me to tell you that the list of objects forbidden inside the castle has the year been extended to Screaming Yo-yos, Fanged Frisbees, and Ever-bashing Boomerangs." I sweat-dropped at the names. "The full list comprised some four hundred and thirty-seven items, I believe, and can be viewed in Mr. Filch's office, if anybody would like to check it."

I watched as the corners of Dumbledore's mouth seemed to move up into a slight smile, as if remembering a private joke. "As ever, I would like to remind you all that the forest on the grounds is out-of-bounds to students, as is the village of Hogsmeade to all below third year." The forest looked too creepy to even go _near _let alone go _in._

"It is also my painful duty to inform you that the Inter-House Quidditch Cup will not take place this year." Gasps and disappointed whispers filled the room. I remembered that Quidditch was the wizard sport, sort of like soccer. "_What?"_ Harry gasped. I watched as he looked at other people who were equally as shocked. At first I didn't understand what the big deal was, but then I started to remember the time when I didn't play baseball for an entire year. Not an experience I wanted to go through again.

"This is due to an event that will be starting in October, and continuing throughout the school year, taking up much of the teachers' time and energy - but I am sure you will all enjoy it immensely. I have great pleasure in announcing that this year at Hogwarts -"

The headmaster was cut short as a roar of thunder filled the hall and the two giant doors to the Great Hall were banged open. A shrouded figure of a man stood in the doorway, leaning on a staff with a hood over his face. A feeling was jolted into my heart as I looked at the man. It wasn't his appearance that terrified me, it was the feeling of his magic energy.

Every since the final battle with The Originators I had been able to sense magic within a person, whether or not they could use it. It wasn't really magic, as it was more of an inner energy that displayed a person's personality. For example: I can feel my mother's inner energy despite her being a human. Hers in particular, was _very _pink and warm, but it had a lemony edge to it. Probably due to her fencing and uncanny ability to want to fight someone who looks dangerous.

This person's though, was evil. Twisted. It had scars all over it and it smelled of blood. Normally I had to concentrate to feel another person's energy, but it was like my power was warning my about this man. As he walked by, I started to taste his magic. I almost gagged as I tasted something that was like human hair. This guy definitely wasn't sane.

I looked at the man's face, he had let his hood down. He had so many scars on his face that he looked like he had been carved out by someone who had never seen a human before. He had one normal eye, but the other was terrifying. It was round as a coin, and a vivid, electric blue. It seemed to dart across the room without blinking, taking in everything it saw. For a split second it stopped at me and stayed there. I shivered a bit as it started moving again.

I wanted to tell everyone to run, that this man was dangerous, but my body didn't seem to want to respond. The man walked up to Dumbledore and shook the headmaster's hand. They exchanged a few words and then the stranger went to sit down and eat a few sausages with a knife from his pocket.

"May I introduce out new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher?" said Dumbledore as he filled in the silence. "Professor Moody." He looked moody all right. Only Dumbledore and a giant-like man clapped for the teacher. I felt a stream of sweat go down my face as I watched the man. He was going to be here all year? That wasn't good.

"Moody?" I heard Harry whisper to Ron, "_Mad-Eye Moody?_ The one your dad went to help this morning?"

"Must be." Ron answered.

"What happened to him?" Hermione whispered in shock. "What happened to his _face?_"

"Dunno." Ron said with a small shrug.

Dumbledore clear his throat as the new teacher took a long drink from the flask he pulled out. "As I was saying," he said, "we are to have the honor of hosting a very exciting event over the coming months, an event that has not been held for over a century. It is my very great pleasure to inform you that the Triwizard Tournament will be taking place at Hogwarts this year." I gasped a little. So, that is what Murata was talking about.

"You're JOKING!" I heard a red-headed twin shout, and in that instant, the tension that had been holding the room into silence broke, and many people started laughing. "I am _not _joking, Mr. Weasley," He said, "though now that you mention it, I did hear an excellent one over the summer about a troll, a hag, and a leprechaun who all go into a bar . . ."

The stern-looking teacher cleared her own throat.

"Er - but maybe this is not the time . . .no . . ." the headmaster corrected himself, and I was seriously starting to question his sanity. "where was I? Ah yes, the Triwizard Tournament . . .well, some of you will not know what this tournament involves, so I hope those who _do _know will forgive me for giving a short explanation and allow their attention to wander freely."

I did know what it was, fortunately. Murata had inserted the information in my head for some reason. It was when three wizarding schools got together and each chose a champion to perform three tasks. These tasks, being as they are dangerous, were normally forbidden to do under normal circumstances. It was discontinued due to the rising death toll and it seemed fairly odd that they were bringing it back again.

I let my mind wander as Dumbledore continued on about the schools that were also participating. _Why were they bringing it back? Isn't it supposed to be really dangerous? What's happening, I mean, are these people sane? _Murata had given me images of previous Triwizard Tournaments, and quite frankly I was not happy with this. _If only I had some authority . . . . _Frustration started bubbling up in my chest. Despite safety measures, it was cruel that they were exposing this to young children.

I only listened faintly as Dumbledore said something about an age limit. _Seventeen was it? Well, that is the legal age to be an adult in this world. _I heaved a sigh of relief, at least they had some restrictions. I finally tuned in to what Dumbledore was telling us.

"And now, it is late, and I know how important it is to you all to be alert and rested as you enter your lessons tomorrow morning. Bedtime! Chop chop!" There was a lot of scraps and shuffles as everyone left to go to their designated house. I followed the other Gryffindors out the doors and into the hallways. I walked beside Harry, Ron, Hermione, and these two twins who I learned were Fred and George. Apparently the twins were frustrated for not being quite of age yet. I bit my lip, unsure of what to do. The Great Sage's words were echoing in my head, _'you might be forced to participate.' _

"_Oops. . . ." I heard one boy say as he fell through a step in front of me. I watched as Harry and Ron pulled the boy out of the staircase. We walked through a few more hallways until we came up to a painting on the wall. The painting consisted of a fat lady in a pink silk dress. _

"_Password?" she asked_

"_Balderdash," said one of the twins, I wasn't sure which one, "a prefect downstairs told me."_

_The portrait swung open to reveal a door-sized hole in the wall. We all shuffled through and into a room with armchairs and tables, complete with a fireplace. _

_After bidding goodnight to everyone, I followed Harry, Ron, and Neville (as I had just learned what his name was) into the dormitory. There were six four-poster beds with trunks at the end of each bed. I looked around to see two other boys who were already situated into their own beds. I moved to where my trunk was and started getting dressed for bed. _

_The minute I took my shirt off there was a slight gasp. I looked over to see Neville looking at my back. Oh right . . .I forgot I was injured there during baseball practice. "Something wrong?" I asked, was it all that strange to had an injury? "N-no, it's just. I wasn't expecting it." I tilted my head a bit in confusion. "What do you mean?" _

_Neville tried to regain his composure. "Uh, well. I heard from Gran that the Japanese were a cleanly bunch and well . . ." I laughed out loud, which seemed to startle everyone in the room. "Can't exactly be clean when you're playing a sport, can you? Anyways, I guess you could say we are a cleanly bunch, but please don't assume that with everyone." Everyone stood there dumbstruck as if I were some sort of animal. I ignored them and resumed changing. _

_The only thing that was on their minds was the Triwizard Tournament as I listened to them chatter on and on about it. I knew this would only last for a short while until they turned their interest to me. The transfer student. _

_I yawned and slid into bed, glad that I had one to myself. It was very comfortable as it seemed to curve around my body. I fell asleep as soon at my head hit the pillow, and I dreamed of the Demon Kingdom. _


	7. Chapter 7

Me: Yes yes I know it's short, so please bear with me. You see, people have been pointing out that it is impossible to apparate within the school grounds. And yet, this is true, but only during the school year. The students do not know this but I know it's true. I mean, c'mon, do you really think that the teachers who live at Hogwarts all year _walk_ through that large of a castle? No? So yeah, Snape could apparate because it wasn't officially the school year.

Friend: Did you have fun?

Me: Yes . . .yes I did

* * *

Raise your hand if you think it was a _brilliant _idea to go to a magical school with moving portraits and random ghosts flying around. . . .

Yeah didn't think so.

All the same it was amusing. Getting up in the morning had been fun. Especially considering that I was the only one up. After two years of getting up at the god-forsaken hour I was still forced to get up at, I just couldn't shake it. I was up a good hour after sunrise before I decided to walk down to the Great Hall for breakfast. Assuming that was where we ate breakfast.

There weren't that many students there, in fact, there were more teachers there then students. Then again, this could be a good thing, I could eat and still have enough time to do some exercises outside. I felt jumpy enough already knowing I had to go back to the Demon Kingdom in three days. I was still a little unsure as to if I would land in the Demon Kingdom this time. Murata had tried to assure me otherwise but I still wasn't convinced.

I looked over at the Gryffindor table to see Hermione already sitting there, reading a book while eating breakfast. _At least she's eating again, _I thought as I walked over to the table to greet her. "Good Morning, Hermione." I said as I took a seat. She glanced up at her book and beamed at me. It made me a little uncomfortable. "Good morning, Yuri. OH!" She looked slightly embarrassed as she said my name, "Is it alright if I call you that? By your first name I mean. I read somewhere that the Japanese tend to use their last names first as a-"

"Sign of respect toward their ancestors?" I interrupted her but smiled sincerely, "Don't worry, Hermione. I am here to learn a new culture, not the other way around, besides," I laughed a bit before finishing, "We're already friends, right? No need to be formal!"

This seemed to keep her quiet as I was faced with the challenge of deciding what I should have for breakfast. I almost died of happiness when I saw toast and eggs over easy. There wasn't any salad but there was milk. I grabbed two pieces of toast, one egg (I remembered mom's comment of only having one egg a day) and a small glass of milk. I knew I would grab seconds, but I wanted to wait for people to get here. I almost jumped out of my seat when Hermione addressed me again, "I remember now! Yuri, I have your schedule here. I just saw it there and I thought that . . ." She trailed off in embarrassment as she held out a piece of parchment. I smiled and took it to see which classes I had:

Herbology

Care of Magical Creatures

Arithmancy/Divination

Arithmancy/Divination (YOU MUST CHOOSE EITHER DIVINATION OF ARITHMANCY)

I tilted my head a bit as I looked it over. _Such strange classes_, I thought as I looked through them. Hm, a choice huh? Arithmancy . . .if I remembered correctly that would be something like calculus right? I never really was good at math, but the whole thought of being able to see the future through the stars sounded kind of cool.

_What to choose, what to choose . . ._ I trailed off in my mind, "I wouldn't go with Divination if I were you." I blinked myself out of my thoughts as I turned to face Ron behind me. "Why not?" I asked, I thought that it would be useful to know the future. "Well, the class is easy, but the teachers a bit off if you ask me." I watched as Ron took a seat, followed by Harry whom I didn't notice until now. "_Ronald, _isn't is a bit _rude _to be reading over someone's shoulder?" asked Hermione as she stabbed her food. "Yeah like you haven't done it." He threw back.

There was an odd silence but it didn't last long as Ron filled it in, "You're eating again, I notice." I froze and then turned to my new bushy-haired friend, who was currently buttering her toast. "I've decided there are better ways of making a stand about elf rights." She answered. "Yeah . . .and you were hungry." Ron said with a grin. Who did they remind me of? I paused as I went through all the people I knew in my head. Then it clicked, _Gunter and Gwendal. _Ron being a much less clingy Gunter and Hermione being a much less frowny Gwendal. Harry was the Conrad in-between them.

I yawned and stretched as the other three got into some sort of conversation about the Triwizard Tournament. I honestly, could care less about eternal glory. Maybe I was just passive like that.

Just then, there was a giant rustling noise coming from the ceiling as owls of every shade of gray came bursting through. I looked up and watched as Al came swooping down and onto a patch of empty table in front of me. I looked at him curiously as he nipped my finger a bit and held out his leg. I blinked and unwrapped the piece of parchment and gave him some bacon before he flew off again.

It was an odd envelop. It was heavier than usual but it was unusually small. I could hide it in my fist without bending the paper. The wax seal itself, was shaped like a snake. I narrowed my eyes at it before opening it, slowly. It seemed like an ordinary letter, but I was a bit freaked out by it for some reason. I unfolded the message and read the English words:

_Your Majesty,_

_Soon your power will be mine. _

I read the short message over and over again. There was no name. "Yuri?" I heard Hermione in the distance but I kept staring at the paper. Whoever it was, knew who I was. Whoever it was, was after the Demon King's power. Nothing else was said as the paper lit itself on fire and disappeared in smoke. I stood up so suddenly that I could feel people's eyes on me. "I'm going to run a bit." I said as I raced outside. I needed _something _to get my mind off this whole magic deal.

* * *

Me: I don't like italics . . .

Friend: Shut up and write!

Me: But it's 3:40 AM!

Friend: WHO CARES? WORK SLAVE!


	8. Author's Apology

Announcement!

It wasn't my fault! My computer crashed and it took me forever to retrieve the data! It's not my fault that I couldn't update so please don't blame me! I will update everything, I promise! As an extra apology I will even ensure that the new chapter will contain at least 3000 words! ONCE AGAIN, NOT MY FAULT!


	9. Chapter 8 and 9

Me: UUUUUGGG DONE! You have no idea how hard it is to read and write at the same time!

Friend: Why don't you just learn how to multitask?

Me: BECAUSE I SUCK AT THAT!

* * *

Herbology was horrendous. I had Harry, Ron and Hermione in my class, so that was ok. But the assignment was worse than one of Gunter's lessons. And that was saying a lot.

It wasn't _boring_, actually it was far from boring. But the plant itself almost made me throw up. It was a sort of slug. Except it was big, black and was planted in a flowerpot. We had to extract the pus that was within each plant. We had to wear dragon-hide gloves, because apparently the pus could do something funny to our skins. I had to swallow my breakfast each time the thick, yellow liquid burst forth from the tip.

Apparently the pus was used as some sort of acne repellent. Which made it all the more disgusting, but I'm not going to go into that. "This'll keep Madam Pomfrey happy," said Professor Sprout, when I first learned her name I had to laugh at the irony with her job and name. "An excellent remedy for the more stubborn forms of acne, bubotuber pus. Should stop students resorting to desperate measures to rid themselves of pimples."

I raised an eyebrow. I was a little curious as to what these 'desperate measures' were. "Like poor Eloise Midgen," whispered a timid girl from Hufflepuff, "She tried to curse hers off." That couldn't have been good. I paled at the thought of what a curse could do to someone. Once again, Japanese superstitions had climbed into my mind. "Silly girl," said the Professor as she shook her head in pity, "But Madam Pomfrey fixed her nose back on in the end." I almost fell over at the statement.

Just then, the bell from the tower rang throughout the grounds. I watched as students began piling out of the greenhouse. I shrugged and started to follow the Gryffindors down the green lawn and towards small wooden hut. An overly large man was standing outside of it. This man was so large that he made Gwendal look like a twig in comparison. I paled at the thought of him being our teacher, and with my luck, he probably was. He was holding back a large black dog, which didn't scare me as much, but it was still intimidating.

There was an unusually large crate in front of him and from what I could hear there were rattling noises coming from within. A small explosion made my eye twitch a bit. Wasn't this Care of Magical Creatures class? What were we doing with bombs?

They weren't bombs, thankfully. Unfortunately, they were mutated crabs. Also known as Blast-Ended Skrewts. "On'y jus' hatched," said the Professor with pride edged in his voice, "so yeh'll be able ter raise 'em yerselves! Thought we'd make a bit of a project of it."

"And why would we _want _to raise them?" said a cold and painfully familiar voice. I looked over at the new arrivals who just happened to be the Slytherins. I looked at the blonde who had stated asked the question. _The one from the train, _I remembered. The poor teacher looked puzzled at the question.

"I mean, what do they _do?_" asked the blonde with obvious distaste. "What is the _point _of them?" I got a bit angry then. Did they really need a reason to exist? I was starting to dislike this person less and less. "Tha's next lesson, Malfoy. Yer jus' feedin' em' today. Now, yeh'll wan' ter try 'em on a few diff'rent things - I've never had 'em before, not sure what they'll go fer - I got ant eggs an' frog livers an' a bit o' grass snake - just try 'em out with a bit of each."

"First pus and now this," I heard another Gryffindor say under his breath. It was . . . Seamus . . .if I was correct.

I rolled my eyes and walked over to the pile of random pieces of things and looked through them. _It's a crab, so . . . the eggs? _It was a good bet. I grabbed a bit of each anyway, before walking over to my Blast-Ended Skrewt. "Now, don't bite me OK?" I asked it, a little unsure of what I was doing. The thing wasn't very pretty, but it didn't look violent either. Just a little scared.

Like most animals, is seemed relatively calm around me. This one was a bit different, though. It looked at up at me with these big, beady eyes. As if it were curious as to what I was. I reached down and placed a small pile of eggs, livers, and snake, seeing if it would choose on its own. As luck would have it, it walked up to smell the pile before picking away the livers. It ate the eggs pretty well, and some of the snake, but for some reason it would only eat the skin. It didn't really eat it. Instead it just pushed it underneath its belly where I could see some sort of sucker.

"How 'er goin' the'r Mr. Shibuya?" I looked up at the Professor who was looking at my Skrewt. I shrugged at his question. "It seems to really like the eggs, and snake skin. I don't know about the liver." I reached down into the crate to move away the liver so that it was in the corner. I was a little skeptical about touching the Blast-Ended Skrewt, seeing as it . . um . . blasted. I reached my hand down and patted it on the head, hoping it wouldn't bite me or anything. To my surprise, it returned my affection by rubbing into my hand. I laughed a bit, although nervously.

"Ouch!" yelled a boy, who I remembered as Dean. "It got me!" The teacher hurried over with worry on his face. "It's end exploded!" I couldn't help giggling a bit at the obvious statement. "Ah, yeah, that can happen when they blast off," said Hagrid as he looked over Dean's burn.

"Eurgh!" said a girl who was . . . Lavender, I believe. "Hagrid, what's that pointy thing on it?" "Ah, some of 'em have got stings," said Hagrid with excitement in his tone. "I reckon they're the males . . . . The females've got sorta sucker things on their bellies . . . . I think they might be ter suck blood."

"Well, I can certainly see why we're trying to keep them alive," said Malfoy, sarcastically. "Who wouldn't want pets that can burn, sting, and bite all at once?" This guy was worse than Wolfram. I almost laughed at the thought of them meeting. I really couldn't stand him so I decided to step in, "You know, animals don't bite unless they have a reason to and they can't help being born with the bodies that give them natural protection in their environments. I mean, look at mine," I motioned toward my Skrewt, who was still rubbing against my hand, "It's friendly enough." Half the class looked toward me and then to the crab like thing that was rubbing against my hand. "Blimey!" breathed Ron as he watched the animal's behavior.

"And just because they're not very pretty, it doesn't mean they're not useful," Hermione snapped as well. I smiled a bit. "Dragon blood's amazingly magical, but you wouldn't want a dragon for a pet, would you?" I thought of Pochi, back home. He wasn't really my pet, more like a friend, but still. Afterwards was lunch, to which I stayed behind from Harry, Ron and Hermione for the fact that I was being swarmed.

Dean and Lavender were asking me how I got the Skrewt to do something like that. I just shrugged and made up some sort of explanation. Why did magical creatures have to be attracted to me? I sighed as I pulled myself into the Great Hall. I wasn't really hungry, the food was foreign to me anyway. I just sat down next to Hermione and poked at what I thought was some sort of pork. "What I wouldn't give for some ramen . . . ." I grumbled. "You all right, mate?" I heard Ron ask as he watched me sigh, "Uh, yeah. I'm fine. Just unsure about the food." Both Ron and Harry looked at my plate and then to each other with confused looks on their faces. "Oh, _honestly!_" I heard Hermione breathe, "He's from _Japan! _Of course he isn't going to be used to our foods." They both mouthed, 'oh' as they returned to their meals.

I looked over at Hermione and gave her a grateful smile to which she returned just before she dashed out of the room, "See you at dinner!" I shook my head at her.

* * *

Divination was complete rubbish. The teacher looked like a bat, and I could tell that she was faking it. After spending time with Ulrike, I knew what a real Psychic was like. It was good for a laugh though.

Trelawney seemed to predict Harry's death whenever possible and the only two people who took her seriously were Lavender and Parvati. The only thing I learned at the end of the class was that Harry and I were born in the same month, and even that seemed pointless.

Dinner was welcome. Extremely welcome. I followed Harry and Ron into the back of the line of students that were making their way into the Great Hall. That was when the blonde boy showed up.

"Weasley! Hey, Weasley!" he shouted as he ran toward us.

"What?" Ron asked with obvious distaste.

"Your dad's in the paper, Weasley!" said Malfoy as he waved a lump of newspaper in Ron's face. "Listen to this!" He said loud enough to attract attention.

**FURTHUR MISTAKES AT THE MINISTRY OF MAGIC**

_It seems as though the Ministry of Magic's troubles are not yet at an end, writes Rita Skeeter, Special Correspondent. Recently under fire for its poor crowd control at the Quidditch World Cup, and still unable to account for the disappearance of one of its witches, the Ministry was plunged into fresh embarrassment yesterday by the antics of Arnold Weasley, of the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office."_

I was a bit puzzled, but continued to listen. "Imagine them not even getting his name right, Weasley. It almost as though he's a complete nonentity, isn't it?" He jeered. I wanted to punch him so badly, but I really didn't want to end up with another Wolfram incident.

_Arnold Weasley, who was charged with possession of a flying car two years ago, was yesterday involved in a tussle with several Muggle law-keepers ("policemen") over a number of highly aggressive dustbins. Mr. Weasley spears to have rushed the air of "Mad-Eye" Moody, the aged ex-Auror who retired from the Ministry when no longer able to tell the difference between a handshake and attempted murder. Unsurprisingly, Mr. Weasley found, upon arrival at Mr. Moody's heavily guarded house, that Mr. Moody had once again raised a false alarm. Mr. Weasley was forced to modify several memories before he could escape from the policemen, but refused to answer Daily Prophet questions about why he had involved the Ministry in such an undignified and potentially embarrassing scene._

I blinked at the article. It seemed really biased toward Mr. Weasley who was obviously just doing his job. "And there's a picture, Weasley!" He exclaimed as he flipped the page to a picture of a man and a woman. "A picture of your parents outside their house - if you can call it a house! Your mother could do with losing a bit of weight, couldn't she?"

I almost groaned. This situation was looking familiar . . . . I looked over at Ron who was shaking in anger. "Get stuffed, Malfoy," said Harry as he put a hand on Ron's shoulder, "C'mon Ron . . . ."

"Oh yeah, you were staying with them this summer, weren't you, Potter?" He sneered, "So tell me, is his mother really that porky, or is it just the picture?" I watched as Harry turned to face Malfoy with fire in his eyes. "You know your mother, Malfoy?" he said as he grabbed Ron's robes to stop him from acting. "That expression she's got, like she's got dung under her nose? Had she always looked like that, or was it just because you were with her?" I had never really seen his mother, so I couldn't really make any comments.

Malfoy went pink in the face. "Don't you dare insult my mother, Potter."

"Keep your fat mouth shut, then," Harry said calmly before turning away. I looked over at Malfoy as he was reaching for something in his robes. On reflex, I pulled Harry away as some sort of spell was thrown passed him. Thank god(?) for all those training sessions with Conrad. This Malfoy kid was making me angry beyond belief. I turned toward him with the coldest stare I could manage.

It was too bad that Ron, Harry and Hermione didn't really know how angry I could get, or else they would have been holding me back. "Malfoy . . ." I said quietly as I walked up to him. I was noticeably taller and I could feel my hair growing ever so slightly but I held back. "W-what-?" He asked as he looked up at my eyes, "What in the bloody hell are you?" A lot of people were staring as I glared down at Malfoy. I smiled a bit, "Boo." I said, breaking the silence. Surprisingly, he flinched.

"Coward. You attacked someone while their back was turned. Can you even call yourself a man?" I chuckled a bit at his expression, "No, I suppose not. No man would insult another person's mother." It was at this point that he retaliated. "Oh? And what about your mother, Shibuya?" I tried to keep a straight face as I clenched my hand into a fist. "A bet she's just some petty whore. Not even a wizard I take it. Some dirty blooded-" _Snap! _I punched him square in the face before turning back, intending to walk away. Only to be stopped by a spell that barely missed me.

"OH NO YOU DON'T, LADDIE!" Everyone spun around to see Professor Moody who was limping forward with his wand out. I looked back at Malfoy who had been replaced with a pure which ferret. Moody turned to me with his normal eye. "Did he get you?" I shook my head, a little stunned at the teacher.

"LEAVE IT!" He shouted at one of the fatter kids that hung out with Malfoy, who was picking up the ferret. The ferret was about to run when Moody stepped in, "I don't think so!" he roared as he made the ferret, er, Malfoy bounce ten feet in the air and then down again. "I don't like people who attack when their opponent's back's turned," He growled in his thoat as the animal squealed in pain. "Stinking, cowardly, scummy thing to do . . . ."

"Never – do – that – again." Moody continued as he bounced the ferret around. "Professor Moody!" came a shocked voice and I turned to watch McGonagall run down the staircase and to the scene. "Hello, Professor McGonagall," He said calmed as he continued to bounce the ferret. "What - what are you doing?" She asked as she stared at the ferret.

"Teaching."

"Teach – Moody, is that a STUDENT?" she shrieked as she dropped her books. "No!" she yelled as she took out her wand and transformed Malfoy back to normal. I watched as Malfoy scrambled to his feet. "Moody, we never use Transfiguration as a punishment!" She scolded, her voice weak. "Surely Professor Dumbledore told you that?"

"He might've mentioned it, yeah," said the older man as he rubbed his chin, "But I thought a good sharp shock –"

"We give detentions, Moody! Or speak to the offender's Head of House!" she explained

"I'll do that, then," he said as he looked at Malfoy with a sort of hatred. It went on with Moody practically dragging Malfoy to the dungeons, to the Slytherin Head of House, Snape.

* * *

"Don't take to me," Ron suddenly said as we all sat down at the table. "Why not?" Hermione asked with confusion in her voice. "Because I want to fix that into my memory forever," he said as he closed his eyes. "Draco Malfoy, the amazing bouncing ferret . . ."

We all laughed as we dug into our dinner. There were actually things I could recognize as food, for once. Maybe Hogwarts wasn't so bad after all.

* * *

Me: *Happy Dance* You know, I might be writing another Harry Potter fic?

Friend: Yeah? About what?

Me: Hmm, I dunno. I wanna do another crossover though . . . . any ideas?

Friend: Why don't you just ask the people who are reading this fic?

Me: . . . . GOOD POINT! HEY! Anyone out there who wants another Harry Potter crossover fic, PM me ideas!

Friend: Aren't you being lazy? I mean, you're making people come up with the ideas for you . . .

Me: SHUT UP! YOU SUGGESTED IT!


	10. Chapter 10

Me: This took so long because I lost my Harry Potter book, so please forgive me. *bow*

Friend: You're pathetic you know that?

Me: How so?

Friend: You lost a book about the size of a dictionary.

Me: No comment.

* * *

Potions was a pretty strict class. The teacher seemed to have a certain hatred for Gryffindors, and a love for the Slytherins. Personally, I hated the fact that he was such a bully toward my fellow house, but I didn't argue, knowing full well what would happen to me if I did.

One option was that I would get detention, and from the looks of Neville that would be even worse than just toughing it out. Another would be just to keep my mouth shut about it, but I didn't like that either. The last was probably the worst of all. I could go into Demon King Mode and scare the heck out of the teacher, but with that letter sitting in the back of my mind I wouldn't dare reveal myself.

So I went with the alternative. I was going to talk to the Headmaster about it.

I know it was probably a 'tattle tale' thing to do, but what other choice did I have? Also I could ask about Murata while I was at it. I hadn't seen him since I started school. Not that it worried me, I knew he could take care of himself, but it did make me a little uneasy not knowing whether or not he was in the building. Also I really needed some advice about the letter.

The deadline for going to the Kingdom was coming up soon too. I could go on my own, but I wasn't the best 'navigator'. Murata was the better choice. It wasn't like Hogwarts would miss me if I simply left on my own. The whole time thing was different anyway, so I wouldn't miss any school. Hell, I could probably get my work done faster if I went to the Demon Kingdom.

Everyone seemed excited for our next class, which puzzled me. I heard that the teacher position had been cursed, and I really did not want to get close to Moody. His soul was dark, there were cracks everywhere. It made me jumpy whenever I was in the same room as him. He was dangerous, very dangerous.

I didn't go to the classroom with Harry, Ron and Hermione. I went early and alone, just to see if I could get a glance at his soul one more time. Very slowly, I opened the door to the classroom, no one was there but Moody, good. I walked in, a bit unsure of what I should do. His normal eye was on his work, but the lightning blue magical one was on me the entire time. I swallowed and slowly took a seat in the front to show that I was not afraid of him.

We sat in silence for awhile as I glared at him slightly. His soul was the same. Demented. Unclean. I bite my lip to hold myself still. I was shaking from both anger and fear. Anger because I couldn't believe that the Headmaster would let someone like this teach. Fear because I knew this person was insane. He was an insane murderer.

The room started filling in with people. Including Ron, Harry and Hermione who all sat by me in the front. Harry sat next to me while the other two were on the desk across from us. I didn't even turn to them as I kept staring at the man in front of us. "Yuri, are you ok?" I shook myself out of my daze and turned to Harry who was looking at me in concern. I smiled at him and nodded, "Yeah, I just feel a little sick." I watched as he nodded, but then leaned in to ask. "Is it about that letter?" I blinked at that. I didn't think anyone had noticed my letter. I at least tried to hide the flames from sight and I knew most people were probably looking at their own letters.

I looked down at my hands. I didn't want to lie to Harry. He was a good friend and all, but I wasn't sure if he could handle me being a Demon. Not many humans could, and it wasn't like I handled it very well at first either. "Yeah," I sighed as I looked back at him, "Do you think we could talk about this later?" He gave me a look that said 'You better tell me everything,' before he turned his attention to the front of the class.

I pulled myself together and looked onward as class started.

The class started out with Moody complaining about the Ministry which I could only guess was the government. He said something about illegal curses and how three of them were unforgivable. I looked ahead and tightened my fist in a ball. No matter how much I disliked the teacher I knew he was right. You have to know what types of weapons the enemy would have. This was just like one of Conrad's sword lessons.

"So . . . do any of you know which curses are most heavily punished by wizarding law?" A couple of hands went into the air, including Ron and Hermione's. I watch as Moody's magical eye turned to Ron. He then pointed a scared finger at my red-headed friend. "Er," He said a bit nervously, "my dad told me about one. . . . Is it called the Imperious Curse, or something?" I started writing on the parchment in front of me. _'Imperious Curse'_ Taking notes was just a habit of mine from school. I wasn't a bookworm or anything.

"Ah, yes," said the professor absentmindedly. "Your father would know that one. Gave the Ministry a lot of trouble at one time, the Imperious Curse." He reached for a jar that was just behind him. Inside there were three of the ugliest spiders I have ever seen. He slowly opened the jar and pulled out one of the spiders. He pointed his wand at it and incited the words, "Imperio." My eyes widened as the spider stiffened and then started jumping around the room. A lot of people were laughing, but I knew that this was no laughing matter.

Complete control with only one word and a wooden stick. Such a dreadful weapon that would be useful in any war. I glared up at the teacher once more before looking at the poor spider. Pretty soon it landed in front of my desk and I watched it with no fear in my eyes. I pitied it. To have your body move on its own, without you having to control it. I knew that feeling all too well.

I reached out and pet the spider a bit, earning a few stares from my classmates and a loud whisper from Malfoy who said, "Monster lover. I bet he's a bit slow like that oaf, Hagrid." I ignored him as I picked up the spider carefully with my palm and looked it over. It didn't seem injured, but before I could get a good look at it, it was thrown across the room again.

"Think it's funny, do you?" I look at the growling man as he kept speaking, "You'd like it, would you, if I did it to you?" The laughter died out instantly as the students pondered over the question. "Mr. Shibuya here seemed to be the only student who wasn't laughing. So tell me Shibuya." He leaned in a bit as he asked his question, "Why is this curse so dangerous?" I sighed, knowing I wouldn't get out of this one. "Total control." I said before shaking my head, "If you got control over a person you could make them do all kinds of things, and I would imagine that the curse in untraceable?" Moody nodded for me to continue. "Well, then there's no way for someone to know it the person did it of their own will or under the Imperious Curse."

Moody grunted before saying, "Very good, Mr. Shibuya. Ten points to Gryffindor." Harry pat me on the back in congratulations and I simply smiled at him. "However, the Imperious Curse can be fought, and I'll be teaching you how, but it takes real strength of character, and not everyone's got it. Better avoid being hit with it if you can. CONSTANT VIGILANCE!" He barked. Making me wince at how loud his voice was.

Moody put the spider back into the jar and grabbed another one. "Anyone else know one? Another illegal curse?" Hermione's hand went up in the air, as did Neville's which surprised me. He seemed like the shy type to me, and seeing as his best subject was Herbology, I didn't expect him to raise his hand in Defense Against the Dark Arts. Even Neville looked surprised at what he had done. "Yes?" Moody asked as he turned his magical eye to Neville.

"There's one - The Cruciatus Curse." He said in a small voice. I couldn't help but wonder if he had experience with this curse. I watched intensely at the spider. Not even writing down the second curse. Moody had to enlarge the spider before performing the curse. "_Crucio!"_ The spider began to writhe in pain as it twisted itself around and started to twitch violently. I could sense it. It was being tortured and Moody was enjoying torturing the poor creature. I looked up at Neville and watched as his face twisted up in fright at the sight of the spider. "Stop it!" I cried at the same time as Hermione. Harry looked at me then to Hermione and finally to Neville. Everyone could see how the Curse was bothering him.

I didn't even listen as Moody put the spider back and went to explain the pain the Cruciatus Curse created. I shivered as I thought about what that would do to a human or demon. "Right . . . anyone know any others?" I closed my eyes in frustration. I have never even heard of these curses, yet I could tell what the last one was going to be. The crime that applied to most cultures as a sin. I watched as Hermione slowly raised her hand into the air one more time.

"Yes?" said our sadistic professor. Hermione looked nervous as she whispered the last Curse. "Avada Kadavra," Ironically enough, it sounded like something a magician would say after pulling a rabbit out of a hat. "Ah," said the teacher as if he hadn't known already. "Yes, the last and worst. Avada Kadavra . . . the Killing Curse." I glared up at the teacher as he trapped the last spider under the jar and yelled out those two cursed words. "_Avada Kadavra!" _I closed my eyes as a flash of green light erupted from his wand.

I opened my eyes to see the dead spider in front of me. On my desk. I watched it as Moody continued speaking. "Not nice," He said as he swept the spider off my desk and onto the floor. "Not pleasant. And there's no counter-curse. There's no blocking it. Only one person has ever survived it, and he's sitting right in front of me." I watched as the magical eye turned to Harry. It was surprising that he had survived that. I had heard the story about the Great Harry Potter and to be honest I could sympathize with him about being famous. Hey, being the Demon King didn't have its price.

"It is also said that there was a wizard who came up with the counter-curse for it. But whether that is true or myth, we will never know." A brave student had raised his hand in the air to ask a question. "Who was this wizard, sir?" I watched as the magical eyes turned to Seamus and then back to me. "I would think that it is young Shibuya's ancestor. Isn't that right?" I blinked, a bit surprised. I hadn't known that, but in the end I just shrugged. "I don't know, sir." He huffed as he continued with class.

If my ancestor did come up with a counter-curse then I had no knowledge of it. I rubbed my temples as I began taking notes on Moody's ranting. But I might known someone who did have the knowledge. I would have to find Murata, and soon.

* * *

Me: Hmm, mysteries, mysteries, how did you like the chappy?

Friend: Speak normally

Me: NEIN!

Friend: . . . at least speak english

Me: fine . . . .


	11. Chapter 11

Me: Hmm, I've been having bursts of Harry Potter writing lately

Friend: Really? So what else are you going to write?

Me: I was thinking about a Naruto/Harry Potter, what do you think?

Friend: It's up to you

* * *

First things first, and that was to talk to Professor Dumbledore. I really couldn't stand to go through another one of Snape's lessons, especially when it was poor Neville that was the main target. Although he did seem to have a hatred for Harry, but I think that is on a more personal level. This school was just getting more and more interesting.

I would have never thought that the hippogriff statue was the entrance to the Headmaster's office. Harry had told me when I had asked where it was. I stopped in front of the statue and stared at it for a minute, trying to remember what Harry had told me.

'I don't know the password, but I can only tell you that every time it's been some sort of candy, or sweet.'

I shrugged at the thought and then looked up at the statue, not really knowing what I should do. "Um, 'chocolate frogs'?" I asked uncertainly. No dice. "How about 'blood pops'?" I had heard about them from Ron. They sounded disgusting. "No, then what about 'lemon drops'?" I knew it was a Muggle candy, but I couldn't help but try. To my surprise, the statue leaped out of the way leaving me there to stand in stunned silence.

I slowly walked up the staircase until I finally reached a door. _Well, this is it. _I thought as I pushed opened the door to the Headmaster's office.

I almost fell over as I walked in, due to the abnormally large bird that flew at me and perched itself on my shoulder. I looked up at my feathery friend so that I could take in it's appearance. It had bright red feathers with a tinge of orange on the side. The bird was warm, so warm that it felt a bit like the sun. I reached up and patted its head and it cooed in pleasure. "I see that Fawkes has taken a liking to you, Your Highness."

I looked up at the only desk in the room to see Professor Dumbledore watching me with twinkling blue eyes. "How-?" I started to ask, but then I saw Murata standing being the Headmaster. "Don't worry Shibuya, no harm done. We can trust him." I sweat dropped while staring at Murata but decided to let it go. If the Headmaster was ok with me being a Demon then I was fine.

"What brings you here, Yuri my boy?" The old man asked as the newly dubbed Fawkes flew over to his owner. "Um, I apologize if I've interrupted anything, but I came to talk about the actions of a teacher." A white eyebrow was raised, urging me to continue. I coughed as I went on. "I'm sure there are other teachers who have noticed this, but I believethat Professor Snape is abusing his power as a teacher to torment those who are not of his house."

The old man leaned back in his chair and stroked his beard in thought. "Yes, I have noticed this, but I am afraid that I have not been reported anything until today. I am very glad that you have mentioned this to me Yuri, for it gives me a reason to have a talk with Snape about that." I gave him a questioning look to, which he also noticed. "You see, being the Headmaster I would have to be fair toward every teacher and student in this building. So when one teacher accuses another with matter such as this, I cannot do much because I have to consider both words of the teacher. Then there is the matter with the students who are all underage and some do not understand the difference between a bullying teacher and a strict teacher." I nodded, that made sense. "But you, being an outsider with no particular hatred or love for any of the Houses and also you are, by Wizarding age, an adult. I can take your word seriously based on all of these factors. So I thank you, and I assure you that Snape will be having a long chat with me."

I scratched my head a bit. That was easier than I thought it would be. Then again, nothing was easy, at least not for me. "Uh, Murata? About that thing coming up . . . ." I started to ask hesitantly. My friend looked up at me with a glint on the surface of his glasses. "Don't worry, Shibuya. Albus and I were just discussing my new teaching position." I stared at him in disbelief but then rubbed my temples. This was just the sort of thing Murata would do. "Which position?" I asked, although I could already guess. "History of Magic, I looked into the class myself and to be honest, I think that the students deserve to actually learn something besides the art of sleeping." I nodded in remembrance. The only reason I was able to stay awake was due to Gunter's lessons, which were even more boring.

"Our dear Professor Bins has had no time to rest, I'm afraid. Even after death. It would be best for him to get some kind of holiday." I silently agreed with him. Despite being a ghost, I noticed that the Professor had noticeable bangs under his eyes from his time with the living. I could only imagine the overwork he goes through with teaching while being dead. I still didn't get my question answered. "Murata," I said in a warning tone. I was not in the mood for mind games. "I really don't want to go through another one of Wolfram's rants." The Great Sage only chuckled before saying, "Yes, Your Highness." I sniffed and started to turn away. "Just three more days, Shibuya, trust me we'll be back before you know it." I silently prayed that he was right.

* * *

I was walking down the hall as I noticed Hermione climb into the common room. I shrugged as I saw no reason to hurry. Instead I took my time until I reached the portrait. "Password?" It asked, "Balderdash." I answered lightly before stepping in. I looked over at Ron, Harry and Hermione just as they were talking about something, "Not going to have a very good month, are you?" said Hermione as she pet the ugliest cat I have ever seen. I went over and started inspecting the parchment over Hermione's shoulder. "You seem to be drowning twice." I said as I looked over Ron's homework that was obviously made up.

Hermione jumped at my sudden appearance as she turned around and looked me in the face, "Goodness, Yuri! You scared me!" I backed up and smiled in a silent apology. "Oh, I am! I better change that one to getting trampled by a rampaging hippogriff." Hermione scoffed, "Don't you think it's a bit obvious that you've made these up?" Ron scrunched up his face in mock outrage, "How dare you!" He continued with sarcasm just dripping from his voice. "We've been working like house-elves here!" I rolled my eyes as Ron tried to defend himself from Hermione's look.

"What's in the box?" asked Harry. Uh-oh. I had run into Hermione while she was at the Library a few times, and I had seen what she was reading about. And honestly, I didn't want to get involved. So, I sat into a chair and drown out Hermione's enthusiastic look on S.P.E.W., a new organization to help House-Elves gain rights. I looked up at the awkward silence, hoping that Hermione doesn't go into some rant again. At that point I decided to talk to Hermione. "I'm sorry to ask, but did you ask them if they wanted to join?" I watched as a bushy head of hair turned so that I could see Hermione's face. "Look, if you're forcing them to join S.P.E.W. then you are no better than the Witches and Wizards that own House-Elves. You can't just make an organization, thinking it's for a good cause, and expect people to follow. As I told you, I do not like _forced _slavery, but House-Elves are part of it willingly."

Before she could answer, there was a 'tap tap' at the window, and outside I could see a snowy white owl with my own behind it. "Hedwig!" Harry shouted at he raced across the room to open the window. I waited as Al landed on the desk and reached out his leg. There was a package in his leg to which I gratefully accepted and opened. Inside were two letters with two baseball gloves and ball. "Alright!" I said before yawning. I stretched and said, "Well, I'm going to read my letters, goodnight everyone." The tension in the room was released as Harry turned to his letter eagerly. Whatever it was about, it wasn't my business.

I walked up into the dormitory only to not hear the usual sounds of Neville's snoring. I looked over at his bed and knocked on the wall a bit to ask if we could talk. I had been really worried about the whole thing that had happened during class. The curtains surrounding Neville's bed was opened and I smiled as Neville gave me a raised eyebrow. "Hey, what are you reading?" I asked as I noticed the book on my awkward friend's bed. "Oh, it's a Herbology book that Professor Moody gave me." I swallowed at the sound of the Professor's name. I really didn't trust that man.

I sighed as I scratched the back of my head. Now was not the time to be mulling over my suspicions. "Hey, look. About what happened in the classroom . . . ." I watched as Neville stiffened, "I'm not going to ask why you acted that way, but if you need someone to talk to, I'm here." Hazel eyes met my black ones as I smiled at him. "T-thanks Yuri. I really don't know what to say . . ." I smiled at him and then said, "No worries! Just promise me you'll come with me to the field after classes tomorrow ok?" That seemed to startle him. "S-sure but why?" I lifted my package and put it on his bed. "Where I come from, there's this sport called Baseball, and it's amazingly fun. Everyone can play it."

Neville seemed to look down in disappointment at the word 'sport'. "I dunno, Yuri. I'm not exactly the best at sports." I chuckled a bit at that. "Let me guess, you're talking about Quidditch?" He blushed in embarrassment as he looked down in shame. "Look, I've seen Quidditch, and it seems like an exciting game but there's almost no need for teamwork." Neville seemed startled at that, "What do you mean?" He even seemed genuinely interested in what I had to say. "Well, for one the team is too reliant on one player. The Seeker, right?" Neville nodded, trying to understand my logic, "There's no balance, is what I mean. In baseball if you make one mistake, or make one great play, it could shift the balance from one team to another. Not to mention the end of the game is determined by a time limit, so great plays can be balanced out by great mistakes."

He seemed disheartened by my speech, "I bet I would only make mistakes," He whispered as I shook my head. "Another great thing about baseball is that you don't need any special qualities to play. Even if you make a mistake it's ok as long as you learn and try again. It isn't like life or death or anything." I watched as Neville pondered this information. I shifted my weight from one foot to the other as I grabbed my package and rested it in my arms once again. "What I've noticed about Witches and Wizards is that they take everything way too seriously. Honestly, you would think that everything revolves around danger of some sort. Can't we be a little more carefree?" With that, I took my leave to my bed. I could still feel Neville's eyes on me as I sat on my bed that was next to his.

I changed into my pajamas and then I purposely fell on my bed with one last stretch. I would read my letters in the morning. "Hey Yuri?" I heard Neville's voice, "Yeah," I asked through a stifled yawn, "Thanks." He said and I smiled before slipping into sleep.

* * *

Me: I honestly have to say that I like Neville. I mean he's clumsy and nerdy and all, but I think he's the actual normal person in Harry Potter. By normal, I mean he takes in situations like any normal teenager would. Yuri is also like that, just with more spunk, so I thought that they would be good friends if they did meet.

Friend: Wow, you actually put some thought into this. I'm shocked!

Me: About what?

Friend: That you can actually think.

Me: Oh really? You know I can actually kill too right?


	12. Chapter 12

Me: YAY! FINALLY! I'M DONE! THIS TOOK ME ALL NIGHT TO WRITE!

Friend: *snore*

Me: *stare* You make me write this all night while you get to SLEEP!

Friend: Huh?

Me: *Kicks friend then runs away*

* * *

I had woken up before anyone else the next morning. It was probably because I went to bed the earliest, but I had no idea what to do within the extra time I had. Then it hit me. My letters! I had gotten two of them and I felt like I should respond soon. I shuffled out of bed and quickly got dressed, grabbing my letters before I headed down to the common room.

In ten minutes time I was sitting at a desk with parchment and a quill in front of me. I sighed as my tiredness came up to me after the adrenaline rush. Shaking myself out of it I grabbed the first letter; from my brother.

_Dear Little Brother,_

_How are you? Are you keeping up with your studies? I find it odd how wizards use owls for their post, so you think you could find out how they train them for me? I know about your obsession with baseball so I included your glove and mitt. I'll send the bat after you reply to this._

_Mom objected to me sending you the baseball supplies and don't be surprised when she sends you this new kimono that she bought. (Don't worry, it's not for you) She wants you to keep it wrapped and take it with you to the Demon Kingdom for Wolfram._

_Keep in touch and don't do anything rash while you're there. I hope you can show me how much you've learned over the year, oh and please come home for New Years, Dad is going to have a big party and he wants you there._

_Love,_

_Shori (Onii-chan)_

I sighed at the letter. Couldn't they just trust me not to get into trouble? Then again, from what I've heard the people I hang out with cause nothing but trouble.

I reached over and grabbed my quill before dipping it in the ink. I took a minute to decide what to say before I began writing on the parchment in front of me.

_Dear Shori,_

_Yes, I'm keeping with my studies and yes I am staying out of trouble. I have mom's letter right here so there's nothing to worry about. I expected her to do something like that, but tell her that I might not have enough time to bring it. I'm going in three days, so there's nothing to worry about._

_Awesome! A bat? I could really use one. No one has even heard of baseball over here. They have this game where they fly around on broomsticks! (I know, cliché witches right?) Anyway, I hope you're doing well and I'll write when I can._

_Love,_

_Yuri_

_P.S. Don't call me 'little brother'!_

I leaned back in my chair and reread my letter. Satisfied, I put it off to the side to let it dry and then grabbed the next letter.

_Dear Yu-chan,_

_How are you doing in school? Are you making sure to only eat one egg a day? I'm sending a dress for Wolf-chan and a camera so you can send me pictures. Your father and I are going out tonight! Did you make any new friends? Please keep in touch, we miss you over here, and stay out of trouble!_

_Love,_

_Mama_

_I huffed at the letter, not really wanting to correct her that Shori is the one that needed to stay out of trouble. Pulling out my quill I thought for a minute before deciding what to write._

_Dear Mom,_

_Yes, I'm making sure to eat only one egg a day and I'm doing surprisingly well in school. I don't know if I can take the kimono and the camera to the Demon Kingdom. I am still getting used to my powers and it might drain me. I promise I'll keep in touch and that I'll stay out of trouble._

_Love,_

_Yuri_

I took a deep breath before adding my signature. My wrist didn't hurt; I was used to the constant writing due to all of my 'needed' signatures on very 'important' documents. I couldn't wait until I got back to finish all of those 'assignments'. Did you catch the sarcasm?

I pulled up both my letters and folded them neatly into envelops. I thought about putting my opened letters away but decided not to. They were in Japanese anyway; it wasn't like anyone else could understand it. Plus, I really didn't want to go back up to the dorm; I would probably wake someone up. So instead I just folded them up to and put them in the corner where I left my stuff from last night. I also grabbed my stuff for my first class just in case I didn't have enough time to come back and get it.

Just when I was about to leave I saw Harry coming down the stairs. I shrugged and left before he could spot me. I knew what Harry was like in the morning and I really didn't want to deal with that right now.

* * *

I was about halfway through the school when I realized that I didn't know where the Owlery was. I groaned as I realized I had been walking in circles and took in my surroundings. Besides a few suits of armor and an empty hallway, I saw no obvious landmarks that could help me. "Great, what do I do now?" I said to myself as I prepared to turn around and find my way back.

"Just where are you headed, young man?" I froze at the accented voice and turned around, still unable to see anyone. It could've been a ghost, but was I really ready to converse with ghosts? No, probably not, but I did need the help.

"I'm trying to get to the Owlery." I said carefully, not wanting to alarm anyone. I jumped as I heard a clink of metal to my right. I slowly turned my head, trying to prepare myself for a ghost, and stared when I didn't see anything, just a suit of armor.

"Well then you would want to go down this hall and then turn left and you'll find some winding stairs. Go up those and then go down the hall and up some more and there you are." My eyes widened as I realized the voice was coming from the suit of armor. I wasn't really sure what to say, this was a first for me.

"Uh, thank you?" I said uncertainly as I slowly walked in the direction that the armor told me to go. I took a right and sure enough there was a winding staircase up ahead. Wow, this world's magic sure was useful, unlike the Demon Tribes magic.

I finally made it to the Owlery. I knew I was on the right track because of all the feathers and hoots up ahead. I was just about to reach the top step when I heard Harry's voice. "Just find him, all right?" he said in a worried tone. I scrunched my eyebrows together and quietly took a step forward. "Before the dementors do." It was at that point that I just decided to go in. Eavesdropping wasn't the best thing to do; especially to a friend and I really didn't want to be part of it.

When I walked in I marveled at the thousands of owls that were resting themselves on each perch. I saw Harry's pure white owl fly off and smiled a bit. My eyes went searching for Al so I didn't see Harry's face when he saw me. "Y-Yuri!" I blinked and turned my head to him. Why was he so nervous?

"Hey, Harry. Did you sleep well?" I asked, trying to be polite. Harry took his hand and whipped away a piece of sweat that was hanging on his brow. He looked paler than usual and his hands seemed to be shaking a bit. "Are you OK?" I asked, not wanting him to be sick.

My words seemed to take him out of his daze because he shook his head and hid his hands in his pockets. "Yeah, I'm fine. How long have you been here?" I raised an eyebrow; did I hear something I shouldn't have heard? Well, I wasn't going to lie to him.

"Is your friend in trouble?" I asked, I knew what dementors were, and I knew that they weren't pleasant. I also knew that they guarded the wizard prison, Azkaban. If anyone, I knew that some people who were convicted guilty were sometimes innocent. If this person was friends with Harry I found no reason not to believe that he was innocent. "Don't worry I won't say anything."

"You're . . . not going to say . . . anything?" He asked slowly as I continued to search for Al. I gave him a weird look. I was the last person you would consider a snitch.

"It's none of my business and I trust your judgment, Harry. I'm not going to snitch on you just because I heard you talking about dementors. First of all, it would be my word against yours. Second of all, what would I gain from doing it? I would only lose you as a friend and get some 'happy points' with teachers that I don't really need. Lastly, I highly doubt this person is dangerous if you really trust him so much." I meant what I said, but to tell the truth I was only revising what Wolfram told me one time. I honestly didn't understand half of what I had just said but I think I got the point across.

It was at that moment that I spotted Al. I beamed at him and gently woke him up. He opened one eye and then after realizing it was me he ruffled his feathers. I strapped the two letters to his leg and gave him a treat that was in my pocket. "It's going to be a long trip, so don't push yourself." I said as I watched him fly off through the window. Having a pet owl was really cool.

I looked over to see Harry still standing there with his mouth slightly open. Whatever he had been expecting it definitely wasn't that. I tilted my head and scratched my cheek. This was kind of awkward. I smiled at Harry before saying, "Well, the Great Hall should be open by now. Do you want to go get some breakfast?" I wasn't sure if he still wanted to hang out with me but I hoped that we were still friends.

He looked at me for a second before nodding. I grinned as we walked together to the Great Hall. I talked most of the way while Harry led most of the way. At first I thought he was ignoring me but by the time we reached the door to the Great Hall he was laughing and talking with me. We soon spotted Ron and Hermione who were enjoying some toast. I sat next to Harry who choose a seat across from them. They shifted their eyes at each other before continuing to eat.

I shrugged and turned to Neville who was on the other side of me and started a conversation with him about baseball. He seemed really excited to learn about the game, but he also seemed disappointed about the effort you had to put into it. I tried my best not to eavesdrop on Harry, Ron and Hermione as they talked about the letter. Hermione said something about Harry's scar hurting while Ron just told her to drop it. I didn't want to get caught up in that so I just ignored them as best I could and explained to Neville how to play baseball, it was surprisingly fun.

* * *

Defense Against the Dark Arts class, was not so fun. Mood had said that he was going to cast the Imperius Curse on them to see if they could resist. _I understand the meaning of this lesson but I still don't trust him. _True, it would be useful to understand something before going up against it, Conrad had taught me that in one of our sword lessons. Even if the Curse was illegal, as Hermione pointed out in the middle of class, it was probably the most dangerous of all three curses. Even under the Cruciatus Curse you could resist telling information or simply kill yourself before interrogation. I knew for a fact that there were worse things than death.

I watched as multiple students did things they never would have normally done in real life. (For example: Neville did some back hand-springs that were really impressive) Harry was in front of me as Hermione was behind me. I stared ahead not knowing what was going to happen. Would my Demon Magic protect me? Or would I fall under the Curse like everyone else? I watched as Harry went before me, but the strange thing was that he was different then everyone else. He seemed to resist to the Curse, even if it was only slightly. Eventually he ended up throwing himself to the desk. It looked really painful. Moody had made him go through it four more times just to show everyone how to resist. I felt bad for Harry.

After some praises from Moody and some stares from the other kids, it was finally my turn. I stepped up slowly and waited as the teacher raised his wand and said those magic words. "_Imperio." _My mind slipped from me and I was feeling more relaxed then I have ever felt before. The world around me felt like a better place. '_Sing a song . . '._ said a voice in my head. I took a deep breath but stopped halfway through. _Why should I have to sing, _said another voice, but oddly enough it wasn't mine. It was deeper, more announcing, like King's voice. 'Demon King Mode . . .' I thought in my head, only this time it was my voice. '_SING!' _demanded the first voice. 'But I don't want to sing!' _You cannot make me sing! _Said my two selves in unison.

_CRASH! _I shook myself out of my daze as I heard the loud noise. I blinked as I looked at the scene in front of me. Professor Moody was on his back with his wand out of his hand with a few items surrounding him. These items, I had realized, were once on his desk. Some students were looking back and forth from me to Moody while two others were helping the Professor up. I felt a little uncomfortable and I also felt a headache coming. When I reached my hand up to my forehead I realized that my hair had grown out and was probably shortening at the moment. Oh great.

When Moody had straightened up and taken a good look at me he growled, "Deatheaters are gonna have a hell'of a time with you." With that he waved me off to my seat to which I gladly took. Harry and Ron seemed to have shrugged off the situation easily but Hermione was giving me weird glances out of the corners of her eyes. I decided to ignore it for now.

I was relieved to get out of that classroom when class ended. At least Moody didn't make me resist the Imperius again. It was tiring enough the first time. "The way he talks," Harry muttered as he limped out of the classroom. I held his shoulder stead until he got his balance before he continued, "you'd think we were all going to be attacked any second."

"Yeah, I know," said Ron as he was trying to avoid the trick steps. He had a lot more trouble with the curse then Harry and I did, and now he was paying for it. Moody had assured that the effects would wear off my lunchtime and for once I believed him. "Talk about paranoid . . ." Ron went on, but then glanced back to see if Moody was there. "No wonder they were glad to get shot of him at the Ministry. Did you hear him telling Seamus what he did to that witch who shouted 'Boo' behind him on April Fools' Day? And when are we supposed to read up on resisting the Imperius Curse with everything else we've got to do?"

I sighed as we walked down the hall to Transfiguration. "We'll manage, Ron. For now, let's just do what we can." I wasn't really worried about all the extra homework. I could just get it done in the Demon Kingdom if I really needed to, but I was still a little iffy about Professor Moody. He was really starting to scare me.

* * *

There was a huge increase of homework with all the classes. Professor McGonagall explained why when the class complained about the Transfiguration homework she had assigned. "You are now entering a most important phase of your magical education!" She practically barked at us. "Your Ordinary Wizarding Levels are drawing closer -"

"We don't take O.W.L.s till fifth year!" said Dean Thomas, I kind of agreed with him but I knew the Professor wasn't going to let up.

"Maybe not, Thomas, but believe me, you need all the preparation you can get! Miss Granger and Mr. Shibuya are the only two in this class who have managed to make a hedgehog into a satisfactory pincushion. I might remind you that _your _pincushion, Thomas, still curls up on fright if anyone approaches it with a pin!" She finished off hotly.

I suddenly felt some eyes on me and I looked around to see half the class looking at me. Hermione had her mouth gaped half-open while she was trying to comprehend how I was able to accomplish that. It wasn't all of Murata's knowledge, I had to admit. I had somehow gotten used to Gunter's study sessions where I could listen to even the most boring of voices. (Excluding Professor Bins) I shrugged and looked ahead at the class to watch as Professor McGonagall demonstrated again.

I had to laugh a bit when Harry and Ron received top marks in their Divination assignment. Mine came in a close second, but that's only because mine wasn't as elaborate as theirs. It took all of my self control not to burst out laughing at the predictions she read out loud for their homework. I could only wait until they were proven wrong. Ron and Harry both looked amused as well, but that soon disappeared when we were asked to do the same thing for the month after next month.

History of Magic was interesting to say the least. Murata was taking over and I could hear students whispering as the saw a kid their age in the desk in front of the room. I sat in the second row near the front and waited as Neville and Hermione joined me. Ron and Harry were behind us. "Welcome class!" said Murata in his cheery I'm-up-to-no-good voice. I shrunk back in my seat, hoping he wouldn't use this opportunity to pick on me.

"Professor Bins is currently taking a vacation and so I will be your temporary Professor!" He looked through his notes on the desk before getting up and picking up a piece of chalk. He wrote his name on the board. "Now I may not look it but in reality I am well over four-thousand years old!" I let my head fall on the desk in annoyance. Honestly, that Murata . . .

"What's wrong Shibuya? Do you need to go to the nurse?" I raised my head and looked at him with the most annoyed expression I could give him.

"I don't think you soul age is the same as your body age, Murata." I said evenly, trying to show him some respect but that was hard to do when you were aware of his true personality. I sighed and sat up in my seat.

Murata seemed to be thinking my words over carefully, "I suppose you're right, Shibuya. Well then, let's try this again. My body is that of a seventeen-year-old as is my emotional level, but I have been reincarnated and have remembered myself other 'selves' since four-thousand-years ago." It was a better explanation but he hadn't ended in an ending tone, which frightened me. "If you wish to know how I know Shibuya, then I would suggest asking him." I gapped at him. What was he trying to do?

"Now then, on with class! Professor Bins had given me a note that I was to assign you some essays on goblin rebellions but that just seems so boring!" I watched as Murata threw the notes over his shoulder and went to open up his schedule.

"Uh, Professor?" asked Hermione in an unsure voice. I inwardly hoped that she asked a careful question, "If we aren't going to do the essays, then how are we to learn about them?" Murata looked up from his schedule and beamed at her. Uh-oh.

"Miss Granger, I presume?" He said in such a professional tone that I found myself twitching. Hermione nodded, not really sure if she should, "Well, I'm glad you asked, Miss Granger! We are going to do a reenactment of the goblin rebellion, when the supplies get here of course." I stared at him as if he were crazy. A reenactment? Why was this starting to sound like a school festival? Oh, that's right, it was Murata.

The rest of the class consisted of dividing into groups of five and choosing an event from the goblin rebellion. We would then use all of our acting, magic and memorization skills to perform a skit of that event. At least it was better than listening to that droning voice.

Potions was probably one of the other classes that I took seriously, we were studying antidotes. One reason I was doing it was because Snape had hinted that he might poison us to see if it worked, another was that so I could give Gisela the recipe and make her life a little easier.

Even Hagrid was giving us more homework than usual. He had said that we were to come down to his hut and study their extraordinary behavior. No one else had gotten them to eat the food, but it disappeared when the students did, so maybe they were just nervous about eating it. I found myself excited about this project. Not only did I get an excuse to come outside but I would also be able to see Hagrid. He and I began good friends as he told me about all kinds of different types of creatures.

We returned to the castle only to find a large crowd around a large sign above the marble staircase by the Great Hall. Ron, being the tallest, stood on his tip-toes to read the sign to us.

**TRIWIZARD TOURNAMENT**

**The delegations from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving at 6 o'clock on Friday the 30th of October. Lessons will end half an hour early -**

"Brilliant!" said Harry to my left. "It's Potions last thing on Friday! Snape won't have time to poison us all!" I silently agree with Harry.

**Students will return their bags and books to their dormitories and assemble in front of the castle to greet our guests before the Welcoming Feast.**

"Only a week away!" said a Hufflepuff student, coming through the crowd. "I wonder if Cedric knows? Think I'll go and tell him . . . ." I was confused at his words but shrugged them off.

"Cedric?" asked Ron as the Hufflepuff ran off.

"Diggory," Harry answered. "He must be entering the tournament."

"That idiot, Hogwarts champion?" he said with as they pushed their way through to the Gryffindor table.

"He's not an idiot. You just don't like him because he beat Gryffindor at Quidditch," said Hermione. "I've heard he's a really good student - _and _he's a prefect." Hermione replayed hotly. I rolled my eyes before putting in my opinion.

"Ron, don't call people you don't know an idiot. For all you know, he could be a prodigy. And Hermione, just because someone is a prefect doesn't mean that they're a good person. Wasn't Voldemort a prefect?" Ron flinched at my words and Hermione's eyes went wide while Harry stared at me with this scared look on his face.

"H-how do you know that?" Hermione asked a little unsure. I shrugged and answered the truth.

"Murata. Fifty years ago he went to Hogwarts as a Ravenclaw student and knew Tom Riddle. He told me all about it." I yawned, not the least unfazed by the way they look at me.

"Even so, he was a Slytherin! Cedric is a Hufflepuff!" she said it like it was ending the conversation.

"You only like him because he's _handsome!_," Ron said a little scathingly.

"Excuse me, I don't like people just because they're handsome!" she answered, obviously trying to defend herself. Ron only answered with a cough that sounded like, '_Lockhart!'_ whatever that was.

* * *

Friend: Riku, what was the kick for?

Me: . . .

Friend: Riku . . .

Me: . . .

Friend: . . .

Me: . . .

Friend: . . . *kicks me then runs away*


	13. Chapter 13

Me: not all of this chapter is a chapter

Friend: Great explanation . . .

Me: SHUT IT!

* * *

The next two days were the longest ones of my life. Everyone was talking about the Triwizard Tournament and practically nothing else. It was pretty annoying, to say the least. I honestly didn't understand how they could be excited about a tournament were it was highly likely that someone would die. Hopefully the gossip would calm down when the other schools got here. One could only hope.

It was a relief when the day finally came to go to the Demon Kingdom. I was so happy that I was humming all day, wondering when Murata would come to pick me up. "Yuri, why are you humming?" Hermione asked one time. I shrugged and then continued one with my merry tune.

Normally I went to the Demon Kingdom whenever I pleased, but they normally took showers instead of baths and I seriously didn't want to know what was in that lake. Murata had explained to me that there might be some turbulence due to the foreign magic in the air so he and Dumbledore were going to make an area where my magic wouldn't be interfered with.

That meant that I could go to the Demon Kingdom whenever I wanted again. Or at least more frequently than having to wait three days for the magic to be fixed up. This also meant that I could see everyone. I missed them so much that I was planning out my first day already. I would have to bring everyone a present, too.

For the presents, I had Murata take me to Hogsmead where I decided to get Greta a miniature unicorn that actually acted like it was alive. I knew she would love it, but then again I also knew that Gwendal would love it too so I got him one as well. For Gunter, I got him a quill that wrote whatever you told it to write. I got Conrad and Yosak magical pendants that ensured physical protection. Conrad's was blue while Yosak's was green. I got Annissina a book called Inventors of the Magical World. Lastly I bought samples of almost every sweet in Honeydukes for everyone else. I would bring Wolfram mom's kimono and knew that he would be happy with that. I tried to make sure that everything was small enough so that I could bring it through with ease.

When we were walking back Murata stopped me to tell me what the plan was. "Look, Shibuya. We're leaving at midnight. First reason is that we don't want to draw any attention to you if you were to disappear in the middle of the day. Second one is the connection might not be all that great and we might come to the same situation as we did with the boxes." I nodded as I tried to see where he was getting at.

"You mean, where I disappear for an hour instead of just a moment?" He nodded and I groaned. Did I really have to deal with the now? I seriously didn't want to wake up at midnight, but then again I could always sleep it off at the Demon Kingdom.

"Sorry, Shibuya, but there's also another problem," I groaned, what was it going to be now? "The portal is in the lake. Dumbledore was going to have it in a bathtub but as it turns out the teachers are getting suspicious and he's afraid something might happen. We're just being safe rather than sorry." I sighed but kept my mouth shut all the same. I knew we needed to be careful about this, but I seriously wasn't happy about having all of these precautions.

Murata sighed at my expression, but didn't continue to push it. "Let's get back, dinner's almost ready."

My good mood wasn't completely ruined. It was the thought that I was going back that kept me in high spirits. I was going _home _and that is what mattered. I ate a lot more than usual at dinner, getting stares from Hermione, Ron, Harry and even Neville. They all looked at each other before continuing on with their dinners. "So, um, Yuri, you seem to be really happy today," said Hermione, trying to get some conversation in. I nodded at her as I chewed on a piece of chicken.

"What happened, mate?" asked Ron as he picked through his plate, "You're eating a lot more than usual." He finished and I shrugged before taking a swing of my pumpkin juice. After my throat was cleared up I took a few deep breaths.

"Something is going to happen. I just know it is." I said finally, leaving them to ponder over my words.

I went to bed early that night. At seven I went up to the dorm and put everything I needed in my Pocket Office as I called it. It was handy. I was able to fit everything in with a lot of extra room. I would have to thank Murata again for the awesome gift he got me.

By seven-thirty I was in bed. I gave my excuse of having eaten too much to escape from my friends. It worked a lot better than I thought because everyone believed me. I knew Murata would get me when it was time to go, so I didn't really have any need for an alarm clock. This was going to be great.

* * *

I woke up with a hand shaking me awake. I rubbed the tiredness out of my eyes and looked up to see Murata looking down at me through his glasses. He was wearing casual clothing instead of the robes. I nodded and pulled on some jeans and a T-shirt. That seemed casual enough.

He put a finger to his lips before motioning me to follow. I obeyed, but only after I grabbed my Pocket Office. I also grabbed my coat before rushing down to the common room and then through the portrait. It was a good thing that Murata was a Professor; I really didn't want Snape to see me sneaking through the school at night.

I had the right idea to grab my coat before we left. Outside it was freezing. I could only imagine that the lake would be even colder. I could feel it even under my coat and with the adrenaline running through my body. Why did it have to be so cold here?

About halfway through the lawn I stopped and turned back to the castle. I could've sworn that I had heard something, but maybe it was just my imagination. I shook my head and turned back to hurry up to where Murata was. It was lucky for us that the section we were going to use was by the shore. The grounds at night really scared me.

The moon was high overhead and although it wasn't full it gave us a clear view of the lake. It was beautiful in an eerie way. I took in a deep breath before moving forward to the edge of the lake. The waves were hitting my bare feet, making me realize that I had forgotten to put on some shoes. It was cold but nicely so.

"You ready, Shibuya?" asked Murata in a teasing voice. I puffed my cheeks out and glared at him. "I'll take that as a 'yes' then." He said and with no warning he pushed my back. I tried to balance myself but I never really was one for balance and soon I fell into the lake right in front of me, taking Murata down with me when I grabbed his shoulder.

The water sucked through us like a vortex. I struggled to keep from swirling while Murata had to grab his glasses that had fallen off of his face. I shut my eyes as I waited for the ride to be over. No matter how many times I went through this it always made me a bit queasy. My head burst through the surface of the water and I was finally able to breathe. I checked my ear to make sure that Annissina's invention was still there and sure enough it was.

I coughed up a bit of water before taking in the scene around me. We were in the pond that was place in the Tomb of the Great One, at night. I really hated arriving at the Demon Kingdom at night. It was creepy and sometimes people weren't there to greet us so we had to walk back to Covenant Castle alone. I groaned in frustration as I turned around and sat up from the puddle I was in.

"You're groaning a lot aren't you?" said Murata while laughing a little as he also got up. I glared at him and yawned, knowing that most of my bad mood was due to my lack of sleep. I really wanted to get to bed.

"Sorry, Murata, I'm just a little cranky." I admitted as I stretched when I got up. A cold wind got me when I did and I sneezed at the contact. I immediately pulled my arms in and started shivering. It was colder than I thought; no more night swims for me. "Think we could get some dry cloths on?" I asked, hoping he would have some extra cloths in this castle before I had to walk to the next one.

"I might, but did you pack any in your pouch?" I thought for a minute before looking. Yeah, I did, man was this thing convenient. I rummaged through with one hand to grab an extra shirt and pants. I even grabbed a couple for Murata to which he gladly took.

I was unsure about waking anyone in the Tomb, but Murata assured me that Ulrike would have seen us coming and that she would have prepared night guards at the entrance. I was just pulling on my shirt when I heard a familiar voice. "You're Majesty, welcome home." I turned myself around to see Conrad standing there with a couple of towels in hand. I grinned as I took one and dried my hair with it.

"Lord Weller, thank you for picking Yuri up," said Murata as he also took a towel to dry his hair. I rolled my eyes, knowing full well that I could take care of myself. He just liked to pick on the fact that there were a lot of overly-worried people who felt like they should watch over me every second of my life. Then again that might actually be in the job description.

"Thanks Conrad." I said as he handed me Morgif, which moaned at me in a greeting. I gave it a look before turning back to Conrad. "Are we taking a carriage or is it horseback this time?" I asked as I strapped my Pocket Office to my hip and put my new dry coat on.

"Horseback. We don't want to draw any attention with a carriage." That was never good. Whenever there came a time when we didn't want to attract attention it was always during a time of danger or an unsure political situation. I didn't like the sound of this.

"What attention do we need to be avoiding?" I asked carefully, not completely sure if he would answer me seriously. I've been at this King business for a while now so it was kind of obvious whenever they would hide something from me. It worked in a pattern actually. Whenever I came back from Earth there was always one problem or another that comes up. What made me a bit irritated was the fact that everyone assumed I would just jump into the problem (to which I would normally do, but only because it's worked to well for me in the past) but I've learned to contain myself. I was seventeen for God's (?) sake! I was an adult! Or at least I was an adult by Wizarding standards. From what it seemed like, sixteen was the standard adult age for Demon Tribesmen but it looked like I got the short end of the stick.

"Nothing serious, just some bandits that have been giving us trouble." He responded with as if it were no big deal. I turned to Murata who nodded and gestured with his hand saying that he would tell me if he found out anything. I sighed and then decided not to worry about it. Conrad wasn't lying, it probably was bandits, but I still couldn't shake this feeling that something else was going on. Maybe I was just being paranoid.

The ride back wasn't as bad as I imagined it would be. In fact it was great. Conrad and I talked about what had happened while I was gone, seeing as I was gone for so long. He told me how much Greta has grown in these few months and how everyone was doing. God(?) I had missed it here.

The castle was dimly lit but I could still spot it as we came to the top of the hill. Everything was exactly as how I remembered it. I couldn't help but smile widely at my second home. It was a shame that I could only stay for a couple weeks at the most.

We brought the horses to the stables and made sure that they were secure before making our way to the castle. Very few guards stopped us, but they did glance at us once or twice. Conrad and I had soon made it to my room but when we did I felt all of my tiredness come up with me. I yawned at the sight of my green bedroom door. It was really welcoming to see it. I turned around at the sound of a chuckle behind me and smiled sheepishly when I watched Conrad look at me as if I was a child. "Good Night, You're Majesty." He said as he smiled at me.

"Conrad, how many times do I have to tell you; you're my Godfather! You gave me this name so call me by it." I always had to remind him not to call me 'You're Majesty'; it still made me uncomfortable to be called that. It wasn't like I was born royalty.

"Of course, Yuri." He corrected himself, "You better get some sleep, though. Gunter will be making sure that you have a long day tomorrow." I sighed and slouched a bit as I tried to think of a way to get out of my study session. I had been at school all week! I really needed a break.

"Please tell him not to wake me up early tomorrow. I could rea—*yawn*lly use some sleep," I tried to rub the tiredness out of my eyes, but it just kept coming back. "I think it is time for bed. Goodnight, Conrad." I waved to him before sneaking into my bedroom.

I could hear Wolfram's snores and Greta's light breathing as I walked into the darkness and knew immediately that this was the right place. I could feel my eyelids dropping on their own, as I found it harder and harder to stay awake. I didn't even bother changing and instead just dropped onto my side of the bed. Thankfully it was empty. I let my eyes close and breathed out a deep sigh. For the next few hours I was dead to the world.

* * *

Me: YAY! I know it wasn't that long of a chapter but complainers can just DEAL! Teehee

Friend: Um, yeah. Anyway this section is where Riku responds to your reviews, it also gives a little insight on the story and maybe some clues as it what will happen in the story.

Me: Hehe, hope you enjoy!

* * *

yuu-chan is so funny, will harry and co. accidentally go with yuuchan to the  
demo world with him. btw love the chappie.

-janelly49

_Me: That's still undecided. You see, I would love to bring them to the other world, but I'm trying to find a situation in the Harry Potter book that would actually get them all around the lake. I know there's the second challenge, but I already have something planned for that. If you guys find out a way please let me know because I've been DYING to get them over there._

_Friend: Of course, there's always that . . ._

_Me: *Stare* You don't mean . . ._

_Friend: Oh yeah . . ._

_Me: NO NEVER! *Runs Away*_

_Friend: Get your ass back here and write it!_

I don't normally like fics from the charcters perspective because most people  
don't get them In Character.

But THIS! This is GOOD, you have Yuri in character!

Please update!

-xxXTheXFallenXxx

_Me: That might have something to do with my habit . . ._

_Friend: You're never going to believe this, but it's true._

_Me: You see, when it comes to an anime or manga, I tend to image that I am the character itself. Or at least I imagine I'm the character that I normally cosplay. Before you ask, yes I do cosplay Yuri. It has something to do with my shortness and stuff like that. Oddly enough I also cosplay Wolfram._

_Friend: Just move on with the explanation!_

_Me: Huh? Oh right. Well, I am aware that I am who I am. It's not like I delude myself that I am the character; it's just that I think 'hmm, I wouldn't do that in that situation, so why did they do that?' It's like I compare what my choice would be in that situation compared to what the character did. I find myself acting like the character for about a week just to understand why they would make that decision. My parents think I have split personalities._

_Friend: You do . . ._

_Me: Oh yeah . . ._

I think Murata is pretty sadistic when it comes to Yuuri...

But it's a lot of fun to watch him making Yuuri's life harder and still  
helping him. ^^

Please update soon again!

:3

-Nebelkind

_Me: Oh yeah, he definitely is. I think it comes with his sense of humor._

_Friend: What sense of humor?_

_Me: Uh, well. When I first found out who Murata was in Kyou Kara Maou I thought of all the awkward times as a child he must have gone through with those memories. I know they vaguely say that the memories were only bits and pieces of his past lives but you still have to remember; that was FOUR THOUSAND years of lifetimes. Not to mention he was a woman for about half of them. He probably remembered stuff that he didn't want to remember. (like sex, bad situations and what-not) I honestly don't think anyone can sanely live with that without developing some sort of sense of humor. _

_Friend: That would explain a lot._

_Me: Yeah, although I do like how Murata treats Yuri; it's almost like a grandpa teasing his favorite grandchild._

_Friend: . . . ._

Yuri is adorable! =D

_-_Mesonoxian

_Me: I completely agree with you._

_Friend: Here, here!_

-giggles- Murata, I love you oh so much. I wish I could be in your class! =O!  
That would be soooo much fun, acting that out!

-xSadistxFujix

_Me: Once again, it's his twisted sense of humor. I think he also likes to embarrass Yuri . . . a lot._

_Friend: I really liked this scene. I wish my teacher would teach this way more often. It definitely helps in remembering stuff instead of just reading it from a book._

_Me: Yeah, but we aren't a in a magic school._

_Friend: SHUT UP GRYFFINFOR!_

_Me: WHAT WAS THAT SNAKE?_

Ooh, Hermione is starting to get curious! That can't be good for Yuri. :) Your  
story is exciting, and I cant wait to see what will happen when the tournament  
begins.

_-_birningice

_Me: I always thought she was too curious for her own good._

_Friend: She could have developed it when she became part cat . . ._

_Me: Ooh, that would be awesome! Though, now that I think back onto the second book, it seemed like the author was really taking her frustration out on Hermione._

_Friend: How so?_

_Me: Oh c'mon. She turned part cat AND she got petrified and even after all that it was only because of her that they got into the Chamber of Secrets._

_Friend: True, true. She probably didn't get enough credit._

_Me: I know, right?_

_Friend: Any more reviews? _

_Me: Hmm, how about one more?_

_Friend: That's cool with me._

funny. Not alot happening yet, but I can definitely feel something drawing  
closer! can't wait for the next chapter.

-Misting Rain

_Me: Yeah, don't worry, I just need to get Yuri through the Demon Kingdom arch and then it's back to Hogwarts. What Yuri goes through in the Demon Kingdom won't have anything to do with what happens in the Harry Potter world. I just want to see Yuri put his new magic skills to use._

_Friend: There's also the fact that he has a job as King to complete._

_Me: Yeah . . . true . . . but enough of that! I thank everyone for their reviews! I appreciate every single one of them and although I didn't respond to all of them it is mostly because I chose the ones that would be the easiest for me to explain. Sorry for the short chapter but I just love responding to reviews._

_Friend: She's done this in another FanFic before . . ._

_Me: It's true . . ._


	14. Chapter 14

Me: I'm glad I got this done. Hope you like it.

Friend: She/He does not own Kyou Kara Maou or Harry Potter.

Me: Hey.

Friend: Yeah?

Me: Shut up.

* * *

Three days had passed before we had a feast to celebrate my return. It had all my favorite foods, or at least my favorite ones from this world. I really enjoyed mingling with people and I especially enjoyed seeing all of my friends again. It wasn't as large or extravagant as any other parties I have been to but I did enjoy it. It was a lot more relaxed, which I enjoyed the most.

I was given some wine, but I didn't really drink it. Alcohol was never really something I was into drinking, even if it was traditional for the King to at least have a glass of wine every feast. In fact, the smell made me a bit dizzy, forcing me to abandon my glass and head out to the balcony to relax. The breeze felt nice on my skin as I walked out into the night air. Everything was peaceful, just the way I liked it.

I leaned on the rail and looked out at the half-full moon. Although only half-full it was still pretty bright due to the lack of clouds in the sky. I watched as the light from the moon illuminated the garden below me. It was a breathtaking view, especially when you could see the whole garden. "Yo, Young Master, what are you looking at?" I turned my head a bit to see Yosak standing behind me, in drag.

I sweat dropped at I looked at him. His biceps were bulging out of the dress he was in, which was pink and sleeveless. He was wearing a wig that matched his hair color but extended his hair so that it curled around his shoulders. He was in full makeup too, but what shocked me the most was the fact that I was _expecting _him to be in drag. "Hey there, Yosak," I said while smiling nervously, "I was just looking for a place to relax. It gets pretty hot in there." I turned my head back to the garden.

"Hm," Yosak said thoughtfully as he looked out to where I was staring. "Oh, that reminds me. I got you something. It's a late birthday present." I twitched. I had been getting late birthday presents all day. The feast was Gunter's idea, Gwendal gave me a homemade stuffed tiger that was as big as me, Celi had given me some shampoo that smelled really nice (I was suspicious of this one the most), Conrad had promised me an entire day off from Gunter's lessons for tomorrow so we could play baseball, while Greta baked me a cake. I was a little scared of what Yosak would give me, but I was sure I would be happy no matter what.

I waited and stilled as I saw what Yosak was pulling out a dress. I twitched and rubbed my temples knowing I would never use that in my life. "Yosak . . ." I said, not really knowing what else to say. It was only until I noticed his laughter that I knew he was kidding. "That's not funny!" I yelled at him more in frustration then anger.

"It's all right!" He said as if I hadn't been embarrassed enough, "It's too bad you would have looked really cute in this one Your Majesty." I lowered my eyes and blushed at his statement. This was too much. "Don't worry; this is your real present." I raised my eyes slowly to see what he was taking out. There was the sound of fabric and then a look of blue. What I saw was a deep blue cloak that was perfectly my size.

"My favorite color," I said quietly as I held the cloak in my hands. The blue was dark enough so that it would look black from far away. There was a wooden fastening instead of a metal one and it looked hand-carved. It was the shape of a teardrop but carved on the inside were the inscriptions Y. S. with two

Larkspur flowers on either side.

I looked up at Yosak, not really knowing what to say. It was a great present, and I definitely didn't expect something like this from Yosak. "It's stain resistant and it will keep you warm no matter where you are." He said proudly, "I made that fastening myself. I thought those flowers were appropriate." I smiled. Indeed the Larkspur was considered July's birth flower. The thought of this made me smile a bit before I unclipped it and maneuvered my arms so that I could put it on. Yosak was right, it was warm.

"Yosak," I called before he could leave.

"Yes, Young Master?" he asked a little confused.

I grinned and pulled out my present from my Pocket Office. I pulled out the green pendant that I had bought in the Wizarding world. "For you," I said as I put it in his hand. He looked at it with surprise written on his face. "It's a good luck charm. Conrad has one too, only it's blue." I smiled at him, hoping he liked it.

He smiled and bowed at me before putting it around his neck. It was then that he left to join everyone else at the party. I yawned and went back to my garden watching. That only left one more person to give a present to. Annissina was someone who scared me to no end but at the same time she was a great friend. It was a shame that she was gone for a few days due to family issues but she would be back by tomorrow.

I glanced back at the party but when I did I could see something move out of the corner of my eye. I whipped my head around to see men running across the garden and behind a few trees. They were completely dressed in black, which made me think _ninja._ I turned around and ran inside, trying to locate Conrad. Something wasn't right, and I was going to get to the bottom of this.

When I did see him I grabbed his sleeve, getting his immediate attention. "Conrad," I said quietly as to not make a scene. "There are strange people in the garden." He furrowed his eyebrows and nodded while I let his sleeve go. He waved for a soldier and whispered something in his ear. There was a nod before half the solders exited to investigate. Three of these soldiers went to inform Wolfram, Gwendal and Gunter of the situation.

This wasn't cool. I just got back a few days ago and already we were having problems. Then again, had there ever been a time when there wasn't a problem? I really couldn't think of any.

While Conrad and the others were working up on how to capture those guys, I worked on entertaining the

guests so that they wouldn't panic. It was a difficult job to say the least. I had never worked so hard to keep a conversation with someone. It was a relief when nobody noticed anything.

* * *

Everything went fine the rest of the night, but I couldn't shake this feeling of unease. Was it those bandits? What there something going on that I wasn't being told? I trusted everyone to take care of the situation but I still felt worried. It kept eating me out until I found myself not being able to sleep. I had a feeling that whatever it was, I wasn't the only one being kept in the dark.

_I need to do something, _was my only thought as I dressed myself in my usual school uniform attire. I grabbed the cloak that Yosak gave me and twisted it around myself. I brought the hood up over my eyes and sneaked out of the room. I knew that this probably wasn't the best course of action but what else could I do? Normally I would ask Conrad, Gwendal or Gunter for the answers but I knew that they probably didn't know any more than I did.

I hesitated a moment before grabbing my wand. Magic would probably come in handy for sneaking around. I groaned as I realized I was picking up bad habits from Harry. I had heard stories from Hermione.

A levitation spell helped keep my feet off the ground so that I could move silently. I walked the halls, not really sure what I would find, but hey, things usually happened at night, right?

I was about to turn the corner when I heard voices. Instead, I just stayed out of sight and listened in on what they were saying. "Is his Majesty safe?" It was Gunter's voice.

"Yes, but I don't think the bandits will harm him," It was Conrad this time.

"You can never be too careful, what do you think they want, Conrad?"

"Your guess is as good as mine. I don't really understand their actions though,"

"How can we? They kidnap a Demon Tribesman Noble and then he is returned in a week's time, unharmed but with no memory as to what happened." Gunter sounded frustrated.

"Quiet down. Do you want everyone to hear us?" This time it was Gwendal.

"But Gwendal, this is important. From what Gisela's told me the Nobles that they have kidnapped were returned but with their magic resources drained." I rolled my eyes as Gunter started to panic. Still, this was an odd situation. Why would someone drain a Demon's energy? It was nearly impossible to contain unless you had the right balance. Usually that would require storing it in a living being, but only Demons were capable of being strong enough to do that and even then it was unstable.

Oh God(?), was I actually _learning _from Gunter's lessons? I put a hand to my forehead before trying to put the thought out of my mind. I'll save that thought for a later date.

This was a tricky situation. If someone was draining our magic then there had to be a reason. Just what was going on? I walked back to my room as I pondered this. There were a whole list of possibilities of what could have happened and a lot of question.

The most likely possibility was that they made their prisoners use their magic to do something for them to the point of exhaustion while they could be taking the energy themselves, but then again, why Nobles? Sure it was most likely that they had stronger magic but there were commoners who could have gained a strong trait of magic that would be just as useful; it would be less suspicious and we wouldn't be in this much of a panic.

Unless; the kidnappers weren't Demons. I froze at what I just thought of. It was possible, most Demons knew of that rare commoner that could do magic but the same couldn't be said for humans. Yet it was common knowledge to almost everyone that Demon Nobility had strong magic. I stopped short and in a split minute decision I turned around.

In my haste my hood fell, leaving my slightly longer hair to wave in peace. Instead of heading back to where Conrad and the others were I took a different turn and headed to Gwendal's office. They were probably done speaking by now and I really didn't want to sneak up on them. They were trained soldiers after all.

There was a light coming from the crack below the door. I guess he was back. I didn't hesitate when I opened the door, which was probably a bad idea but I did it anyway. Gwendal looked up from his desk with that usual grumpy look on his face. Oddly enough, I was too tired to care.

"I had a premonition." I said as I walked in and closed the door behind me. Conrad was standing behind Gwendal while Gunter was sitting with papers in front of him. "I'm sorry but I couldn't sleep." I explained before yawning, "I heard you talking in the hallway and I just had an idea as to who these 'bandits' might be." Gunter looked guilty, Conrad smiled with Gwendal frowned even harder than before.

"And who might that be, Your Majesty?" Conrad asked with some amusement in his voice. I knew he wasn't making fun of me. In fact, he probably trusted my judgment on this situation to the highest regard. That's what I really liked about Conrad; he knew almost everything.

"Humans," I said simply as I took a seat and sat down, before Gunter could talk I raised my hand, "Look, most Demon's know this but there are commoners who contain strong Demon Magic, which is what I think they're after." I took a deep breath and then rubbed my eyes, "If these 'bandits' are kidnapping people who have strong magical abilities then we can only assume that they are using that magic for something, but they probably only think that Nobles have magic ability, thus the reason why they kidnap them."

I watched as all three nodded and pondered over the thought. I sighed as tiredness took over my body. I guess it was time for bed. "Conrad, I will run through documents of any humans that have transferred here from a few weeks ago. Can you escort his Majesty to his chambers?" said Gwendal as he opened a drawer and pulled out a wad of paper. I grimaced and got up to follow Conrad out into the hallway.

We walked back in silence but it wasn't awkward. When we reached the familiar green door I turned and smiled at Conrad who chuckled back, "You always surprise me, Yuri." I grinned even wider at his off-handed praise.

"I've been forced to think for the past few weeks, so I think I'm getting used to it by now." School really was turning me into a nerd. I guess it probably had something with being seventeen as well but I would leave it with the school. I sort of missed my 'act before you think' image. "Good night, Conrad!" I said cheerfully before heading into my bedroom to join Wolfram and Greta in sleep.

* * *

It took a few days but soon Gwendal found a group of humans who had recently moved into the vicinity. As it turned out; they were kidnapping Nobles in order to get them to heal one of their friends who got injured and ended up in a coma. They didn't have the money to hire a doctor and they were still suspicious of the Demon Tribe so they threatened the people they kidnapped to heal their friend. Little did they know that healing magic only worked when the person performing it _wanted_ to heal the injured person.

Since there was no harm done they got away with a fine and I was the one who healed the injured human (who turned out to be their leader). They were extremely grateful but they also got chewed out by their leader who had a great respect for the Demon Tribe and as it turned out, was a fan of mine.

With that, the case was solved. It was surprisingly easy to fix this problem compared to other problems I had in the past. To my dismay, the two weeks were coming to an end. I really didn't mind going back, but I knew that I would miss it here. Then again, I could always come back which was a plus.

"What's wrong, Shibuya?" asked Murata as we sat at a table and drank the tea that the maids had prepared for us. I looked out at Greta who was playing with one of the Noble children who had stopped by to visit. I sighed as I put my tea cup down. "You don't want to leave, do you?" I gave him a look and he continued, "What I meant was, you don't want to leave her alone."

I puffed my cheeks out before holding back tears. It was true I didn't want to leave my little girl alone; she was going to grow up without me. "I know it's going to happen, Murata!" I yelled at him as he laughed at me. "She's going to grow up, get married and leave me!" I slammed my head down on the table as he just laughed even harder.

"That's all part of growing up, Shibuya. She'll still love you as a father." I peaked up at him and his calm composure. I don't know why but for some reason I needed to hear that.

"Really?" I asked as I sniffed. I wasn't going to let her get married. Not yet anyway.

"Really," He answered as he went back to his book.

* * *

Later that night, Murata and I were heading back to Hogwarts. We said our goodbyes, I had given away all of my presents and had gained some of my own. I was about to step in the water when I looked back at my family. I smiled and waved goodbye before disappearing into the icy waters.

We were pulled through the familiar suction of the water before resurfacing in the lake. The lake was even more freezing. I sneezed before getting up and out of the cold water. Murata followed suit. The cold wind didn't help much as it pushed against our wet cloths.

"L-let's go inside," said Murata as he hurried forward, I could only nod as I followed him into the castle.

* * *

Walking into the common room was probably the most heavenly thing to do. My body shivered as I hurried to the flames that seemed to grown in size as I came closer. I breathed a sigh of relief as I shed my school uniform coat and rolled up my white sleeves. I took off my Pocket Office and set it to the side to let it dry along with my coat. I sat in front of the fire and waited for it to dry my completely.

"Yuri?" I yawned and looked behind me to see Harry standing behind me. I waved at him and motioned to a spot next to me. I knew that only an hour had pasted before I left, Murata and I checked the time and date before I headed up to the common room. He walked over and slowly sat himself next to me. "Why are you all wet?" he asked after a few minutes.

I looked at him in the corner of my eye to see that he was wearing his glasses. "I fell in the lake." I said with a shrug. It wasn't a complete lie. His head turned to me before deciding what to ask next, but for some reason he didn't. "Why are you awake?" I asked him, trying to keep up a conversation.

He shrugged as he looked at the fire with sudden interest, "A lot on my mind." He said as he looked ahead with obvious frustration. I hummed but then reached into my Pocket Office to grab something that might help. I gripped my hand around the box and it out as I knew exactly what it was.

I opened up the rectangular box and opened the packaging to let open the smell of chocolate. "Here," I said as I offered a piece to him. He hesitated before taking the piece and smelling it. "It's called pocky." I explained as I grabbed a piece myself and taking a bite of the semi-sweet treat. "Trust me, it's good." He gave me a skeptical look before taking a bit himself.

His eyes widened at the taste and I laughed a bit at the look on his face, "It's really good! Where'd you get this, Yuri?" I smiled as I finished my piece and grabbed another. I put the box in between us so that we could both reach it.

"It's really common in Japan. I'm surprised that you haven't heard of it. It's pretty popular all around the world. Then again, that could only be the muggles." I licked my lips as I grabbed for another piece. I couldn't believe that I had completely forgotten about this. "There are other flavors too. Like strawberry, green tea, and dark chocolate. It's good right?"

Harry nodded before taking another piece, obviously in a much better mood then before. The happy mood didn't last long, however when he hesitated to take a bite and instead sighed at the fire. "Is this about your friend?" I asked as I stopped myself from taking a bite as well. Harry stiffened at my words, so I could only guess that it was. "I know this is none of my business, Harry, but it's not healthy to keep your feeling pent up inside." He didn't answer; instead he just looked ahead at the fire.

I sighed, wondering what to say next. "You know what baseball is right?" Harry's lip twitched up a bit. I knew he knew about it. I had been talking about it constantly ever since my brother had sent me the supplies. "Did you know that I had quit it for a whole year?"

He looked at me with disbelief on his face. "_You?_You _quit baseball?_" I laughed at his reaction before continuing on with my story.

"Well, I was sort of kicked out." I scratched my head in embarrassment, "You see, one of our players was sick so we had another player fill in for him. He was decent, but not as good as the one who was sick so he had a lot of expectations. In one game there was a pop fly, meaning the ball got hit up high in the air, and he missed it. We lost the game because of that but the coach took him aside and said that he was worthless and that he shouldn't play baseball again." I looked down, lost in thought at the memory. "He said it so loudly that the other team and even the people in the stands heard him. I lost my temper and punched him, telling him that he was the worthless one."

Harry could only gap at me as I retold my memory. I remembered telling Conrad this story when I first went to the Demon Kingdom. "I mean, normally I can control my emotions, but that coach had been doing stuff like that the entire year and my anger just boiled up inside. I could have probably done something sooner but I was a coward." I sighed and lay on my back to look up at the ceiling.

"You're not a coward. I mean, c'mon you're in Gryffindor!" I smiled as Harry tried to cheer me up. I wasn't depressed, I was just a little embarrassed at the memory.

"Tell that to the Sorting Hat! He couldn't decide between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff. Not that I would have minded either. I wouldn't have minded any House, really." I stretched and lifted myself up in my sitting position. I was mostly dry, except for a few patches.

Harry was silent as he seemed to be recapping what I had told him, "The Sorting Hat said that I would do well in Slytherin." He said it like it was a bad thing. I raised an eyebrow and looked him over. These House rivalries were getting out of hand.

"What's wrong with that?" I asked as I took another piece of pocky. He looked at me as if I was insane and I just grinned back at him. "I hardly believe that even if you were in another House, Harry, that you would be a completely different person then you were today. I have nothing against Slytherin. In fact; I made some friends who are in Slytherin." This time it was Harry's turn to laugh.

"Yuri, you can make friends anywhere!" I blushed as I realized he was making fun of me, "The only time I've seen you retaliate against anyone was when Malfoy insulted your mother and even then you didn't use magic, you just punched him." Well, I had learned my lesson as to not slap pretty boys, so I punched him instead.

"That was actually interesting. He looks exactly like a friend of mine, except a lot more bratty." I finished my pocky before grabbing another. "Man was I surprised when I saw Malfoy! I thought he was my friend for a second, but when I saw his two henchmen I knew it wasn't him."

"How do you figure?" Harry asked me before going for another piece.

"Wolfram's way too proud of his strength. He's got great sword skills, not to mention that he is physically fit. Malfoy on the other hand, prefers other people to do his dirty work. He hates exercise and he can't even come close to the kind of experiences Wolfram's been through. Also Wolfram only uses magic as a last resort."

I lifted my coat and felt through it to see if it was completely dry. Eh, it was close enough. "Well, I'm headed to bed. I think it's good if you just sleep on things Harry. A clear mind could change everything." I grabbed my Pocket Office before climbing the stairs and to the dorm room. There were snores on either side but I didn't care. After using my magic to travel between worlds, I was beat.

I changed into my pajamas and simply fell on my bed. I reached my hand out over the mattress only to see that no one was there. I really missed Greta and maybe even Wolfram although there were others to take place of his snores. I heard Harry's footsteps just as I was falling asleep.

* * *

Me: Hm, this may be my favorite fanfic that I have written so far . . .

Friend: And why is that?

Me: BECAUSE IT'S THE EASIEST TO WRITE! MWUHAHAHAHA!

Friend: . . . . .


	15. Chapter 15

Me: Ok everyone! Just to clarify, no, Harry, Ron and Hermione do not know about the Demon Kingdom. In fact, not even Dumbledore knows much about it. The only 'known' demons in the wizarding world are the Great Sage and Yuri's Ancestor. Even then they aren't known as Demon's, they are known as 'a tribe with mysterious powers due to the containment of a reincarnated soul'. Dumbledore is the only wizard who knows that there is a Demon Kingdom, but seeing as how Murata tells people nothing, Dumbledore can only assume that it's a hidden Kingdom on Earth. Murata wants to keep it that way as well, seeing as how wizards aren't really that open-minded (strange, really, but that's how I always precieved them as) but yes, Dumbledore is aware of Yuri's royal liniege, but once again he does not know he is the king of ANOTHER world.

Friend: That explains a lot

Me: Doesn't it?

* * *

When I got back, the entire castle was acting strangely. All the teachers seemed tense at the closing arrival of the other two schools. I couldn't really blame them, I was a bit nervous myself, but for some reason I was able to carry myself a lot better than the other students; who were constantly whispering about it. The castle had undergone some sort of extreme-makeover. It was clean thoroughly; even some hallways that nobody even used were cleaned for dust or grime.

As the days past the teachers grew even tenser. Professor McGonagall yelled at Neville not to reveal that he couldn't do a Switching Spell in front of anyone from Durmstrang. I wondered why not to show it to anyone from that particular school but kept quiet about it. That night, I helped Neville with the Switching Spell.

I woke up on the morning of October 30th. It was pretty funny seeing everyone fidget as they got ready to go down to breakfast. I was strangely relaxed; maybe it was because I had a great night of sleep. The Great Hall was decorated with shining banners that were held above each table' representing each House. It was oddly familiar . . . I had a vision of Convenient Castle and smiled. It was just like back home.

I took a seat at the Gryffindor table where Harry, Ron and Hermione were. I licked my lips and grabbed myself some of the food in front of me. It was pretty good. I looked at everyone else only to realize that they weren't eating anything.

"_House-elves!" _I heard Hermione say as I paused in my food. I sat up and raised an eyebrow with interest. So she was still going on about this huh? "Not once, in over a thousand pages, does _Hogwarts, A History _mention that we are all colluding in the oppression of a hundred slaves!" I rolled my eyes and tried to stop myself from interrupting but I couldn't help it.

"Hermione, are these elves forced to stay here?" I asked as I set my fork down and whipped my mouth with my napkin. Before she could answer, I went on. "No, they aren't and I can prove it. I am aware that they clean our sheets, cook our meals, and keep the classrooms clean but do you know how they do that without being seen by any of the five-hundred students that live here?" She kept her mouth shut and looked me over, "They must have their own magic that allows them to transport wherever they wish. Now, I'm not an expert on magic, but I do know that spells only work within an area range of some sort. If these house-elves truly wanted freedom then they could simply leave."

I picked up my goblet and took a swing of my pumpkin juice, "They're not leaving because they think they're happy! They are uneducated and brainwashed!" I set down my goblet and looked over to Hermione with an indifferent expression.

"How do you know? Does it say that in the book or are you making your own assumptions? For all you know, it could be in their nature to like working or even something within their history that keeps them the way they are. They don't have to be brainwashed or uneducated to act that way. Keep in mind, Hermione that you are assuming things about them and trying to make changes for them that they don't want. I won't stop you from voicing your opinion, but I am putting my foot down at forcing _your _beliefs onto someone else."

I know what I said was probably harsh, but it shut her up about the house-elves which left me happy. This situation was all too familiar to the one in the Demon Kingdom. The humans made assumptions about the Demons and the Demons made assumptions about the humans and pretty soon you have a war on your hands because of one big misunderstanding. It happened in the Demon Kingdom but I didn't need it happening here.

There was a clatter and some screeches above us and I looked up to see the Owls flying over us. I smiled as Al flew down in front of me and held out his leg. On it was a letter and a small package. I grabbed the package and letter and gave Al some water before he flew off.

Surprisingly, the letter was from my Dad. I opened the letter to see his overly-neat handwriting. I guess that was a skill you picked up, being a banker.

_Dear Son,_

_I hope you're having a good time at school, I was a bit skeptical about sending you there but after I read your letters I knew that it was a good choice. I hope that you're making a lot of friends and that you're not neglecting your duty as King. If you feel stressed, or need help then I am always available for you to talk to. Make sure you eat healthy and try not to get into any mischief._

_Love,_

_Dad_

_P.S. I'll try to keep your mother off your case about witches and wizards._

I smiled at my Dad's letter. It was very professional, but I could still tell that he cared for me through it. Out of the corner of my eye I could see Harry, Ron and Hermione huddled over the letter that Harry received. I could only guess that it was from Harry's 'friend', so I didn't question it. Instead, I just ate my breakfast in silence.

The rest of the day went by slowly and dully. No one was paying attention in class, not even the teachers. It was pretty boring for me. I was used to people coming and going in the Demon Kingdom so I really couldn't understand how this visit was so exciting. It probably would have been more exciting if we were actually going to one of the other schools but something told me that, that wouldn't happen.

* * *

When the bell rang early in the middle of potions, we hurried off to drop off our stuff and put on our cloaks. I put on my new cloak that I got from Yosak. The dark blue made it look black so there was no big problem. Anyway, it was warmer then the school cloaks.

The Heads of Houses were ordering us into line while we were checked over to see if we were dressed appropriately. "Weasley, straighten your hat," Professor McGonagall snapped as she paced in front of us. "Miss Patil, take that ridiculous thing out of your hair." Parvati frowned and took out a large butterfly ornamental from her hair. "Mr. Shibuya, what is that cloak that you are wearing?" I raised an eyebrow at her as she addressed me. As far as I knew, cloaks were optional and if we did wear them it wasn't like they had to be the schools.

"It's cold, and this cloak is warmer then my school one." I said simply as I looked her over. I hated teachers who abused power; just take a look at what happened to my coach. "It was a late birthday present from a good friend of mine." I finished just topping it off, "Wonderful color? Don't you think?"

McGonagall frowned and went back to her job. "Follow me please," she said. "First years in front . . . no pushing . . . ." I couldn't help but smile at my victory.

We filed down the steps and lined up in front of the castle. I was right, it was cold out. Dusk was falling and the moon could be seen over the forbidden forest. I was standing next to Harry who had Ron at his side while Hermione was on my other side. "Nearly six," said Ron as he looked at his watch. "How d'you reckon they're coming? The train?"

"I doubt it," answered Hermione.

"How , then? Broomsticks?" Harry suggested as he tilted his head upwards.

"I don't think so . . . not from so far away . . . ." she said, unsurely.

"A Portkey?" Ron suggested. "Or they could Apparate - maybe you're allowed to do it under seventeen wherever they come from?"

"You can't Apparate inside the Hogwarts grounds, how often do I have to tell you?" Hermione answered impatiently.

I snickered as a thought came to mind, "Magic pumpkin . . . ?" I said under my breath as I tried to hold back my laughter. Hermione gave me a look but I kept laughing, "A pumpkin carriage!" I said a little louder, but only Harry and Hermione could hear me. Harry snorted with laughter but he covered it up with a cough and Hermione glared at me but I could see the edges of her mouth tilting up.

"Aha!" called out Dumbledore from the back row, "Unless I am very much mistaken, the delegation from Beauxbatons approaches!" Many students started freaking out as many yelled out as others whipped their heads around to see if they could find whatever it was that they were trying to find.

My jaw dropped as a powder-blue carriage came out from behind the trees. It was being dragged by what looked like Pegasus. I closed my mouth and scratched the back of my head, "Uh, I called it?" I said uncertainly to Harry and Hermione who both looked at me as if I were growing another head, "You know . . . you could probably replace Trenlawny." I rolled my eyes and watched the scene unfold before me.

The carriage was practically thrown to the ground as it landed. I tried to stay as still as I could as a large foot came out of the carriage door and with it a very large woman. I opened and then closed my mouth as I watch the largest woman I have ever seen in my life. She oddly reminded me of that machine doll that accidentally activated after a certain King's mischief.

I ignored the conversation happening between the Headmaster and the strange woman (Madame Maxime, as I learned) and looked at the two dozen or so people behind them. Half were boys while the other half were girls and their robes seemed to be made of fine silk. I could only imagine how cold they felt in this weather with what they were wearing. I clutched my warm, Yosak-made cloak tighter just to make sure that I was imagining the chills.

"Has Karkaroff arrived yet?" Madame Maxime asked.

"He should be here any moment," said Dumbledore in a very professional voice. "Would you like to wait here and greet him or would you prefer to step inside and warm up a trifle?"

"Warm up, I think," she replied, her heavy French accent showing tremendously. "But ze ' orses -"

"Our Care of Magical Creatures teacher will be delighted to take care of them," Dumbledore answered her, "the moment he has returned from dealing with a slight situation that has arisen with some of his other – er – charges."

"Skrewts," Ron whispered over to Harry while grinning.

"My steeds require – er – forceful 'andling," she continued, obviously very skeptical of Hagrid. I couldn't blame her. Those Horses were massive and I could sort of sense that they were looking at me. Why were magical creatures so drawn to me? "Zey are very strong . . . ."

"I assure you that Hagrid will be up to the job," said Dumbledore with a smile that reminded me of when Murata was being 'playful'. Damn old men.

There was a few more words exchanged but I was too busy rearranging my cloak. "How big d'you reckon Durmstrang's horses are going to be?" said Seamus Finnigan from behind us. I twitched at the thought of bigger horses then those things.

"Well, if they're any bigger than this lot, even Hagrid won't be able to handle them," said Harry. "That's if he hasn't been attacked by his skrewts. Wonder what's up with them?"

"Maybe they've escaped," Ron suggested with some hope in his voice.

"Oh don't say that," said Hermione as she shuddered at the thought. "Imagine that lot loose on the grounds. . . . ."

I breathed in my hands in an attempt to warm up. "Don't worry 'Mione," said Ron as he leaned over a bit. "If anything happens we could always get Yuri to do something." I almost fell over at his statement.

"What do you expect me to do? Be bait?" I said a little scared that Ron had even suggested something like that. To my dismay, he was laughing.

"Nah mate, you could just cuddle with them and they'll calm down. I mean, those things love you more then they love Hagrid and he's with them twenty-four seven. Just look at those horses; they have been itching closer ever since they've laid eyes on you." I twitched and gave Ron my best glare. That was not funny and I really didn't want to admit that it was probably true.

We stood for a few more minutes, waiting for the Durmstrang party. Suddenly, a strange rumbling and sucking sound came from the lake. I turned my head to watch as a _ship _erupted from the lake. For a split second, I thought it was a ship from the Demon Kingdom, but as I looked closer I could not recognize the symbol of the flag and there were people with robes on the deck. I sighed in relief as the Durmstrang party climbed up the hill from the lake.

A man with sleek silver hair and robes of fur came up first, leading the students. "Dumbledore!" he called heartily, but I could tell it was fake. I glared at this man's soul as it pulsed out to me. It wasn't as twisted as Moody's, in fact it didn't even seem evil. It was just indifferent, and a little greedy. I could tell that he wasn't a good person but at least he wasn't evil. "How are you, my dear fellow, how are you?"

"Blooming, thank you, Professor Karkaroff," the old man replied. My eye twitched as I saw the Professor's goatee that finished in a small curl.

"Who invited Jafar?" I said under my breath, getting a snicker from Hermione and smile from Harry and a confused look from Ron.

"Dear old Hogwarts," he said, looking up at the castle with an odd smile. "How good it is to be here, how good. . . . Viktor, come along, into the warmth . . . you don't mind, Dumbledore? Viktor has a slight head cold. . . ."

I scoffed. Typical; this teacher was a huge believer in favorites. "Harry – it's _Krum_!" I looked over at Ron who was looking at the student enthusiastically. There was only one thing that could get Ron excited like that and it was Quidditch.

* * *

As we were filing back, Ron couldn't help but keep talking about Viktor Krum and how great he was. It was a bit annoying, but I didn't say anything. If I did, I would just be a hypocrite. Several girls were trying to find ways to get Krum's autograph. I just rolled my eyes and took a seat, waiting for the food to appear. I spaced out as Ron blamed on about how he would let Krum have his bed if they decided to stay with them. I yawned and tried to ignore him. I could see how Malfoy and his gang were smug about having someone famous sit at their table. I grinned and waved at him with a fake smile, obviously catching him off guard. His expression was hilarious.

Once all the teachers and students were seated, Dumbledore continued with his usual speech, "Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, ghosts and – most particularly – guests," his voice boomed out throughout the hall. "I have great pleasure in welcoming you all to Hogwarts. I hope and trust that your stay here will be both comfortable and enjoyable."

One of the Beauxbatons girls gave a derisive laugh. I widened my eyes at such rudeness. Honestly, I hated people who thought they were better than anyone else. Hermione was about to say something but I put a hand on her shoulder and sent a cold glare to the girl. Her laugh ended as she looked me over as if I was insane, but I continued, "Respect shouldn't be too hard for a girl your age now should it?" I said coldly. For some reason this girl made me feel on edge. It was almost like she wasn't completely human; or demon for that matter.

"The tournament will be officially opened at the end of the feast," said Dumbledore. "I now invite you all to eat, drink, and make yourselves at home!" I watched as the Headmaster sat himself down and the plates filled them with food. I groaned as I recognized that most of this food was foreign to me. I looked around to see if there was anything I could be able to eat and then I say it. There was a plate of untouched sushi and rice balls with a pot of curry right next to it. I looked back up at the teacher's table and saw Murata raise his glass and wink at me. I owed him a huge favor for this.

"What's _that?_" said Ron as he pointed to a strange shellfish stew.

"Bouillabaisse," answered Hermione.

"Bless you," Ron said back.

"It's _French,_" said Hermione, "I had it on holiday summer before last. It's very nice.

"I'll take your word for it," He finished helping himself to some pudding.

"Here, here." I said, wrinkling my nose at the stuff.

Hagrid came in and sat himself at the teachers table. I smiled and waved at him as Harry called out to ask about the Skrewts. A moment later, a girl's voice said, "Excuse me, are you wanting ze bouillabaisse?" I looked back at who said it and raised an eyebrow as I realized it was the girl who laughed at Dumbledore's speech. She had removed her muffler and now I could see that she had straight blond hair with deep blue eyes and very white teeth.

I moved the bowl to her in silence. I seriously didn't trust this girl, and now I knew why. I could only see part of her soul; the other part was fuzzy, as if something was blocking my vision. I shook my head to get rid of those thoughts. I was relaying too much on the power. "Have it." I said indifferently.

"You 'ave finished wiz it?" I looked up at her only to realize that whatever she was doing, she was trying to get my attention.

"Yeah," Ron said breathlessly. "Yeah it was excellent."

The girl lifted the dish and brought it over to the Ravenclaw table. Harry laughed at Ron as he goggled that girl. "She's not completely human." I said, interrupting him. Ron gapped at me before his eyes widened.

"She's a _veela!" _he said with a hoarse voice. That could have been it.

"Of course she isn't!" said Hermione, "I don't see anyone else gaping at her like an idiot!" I rolled my eyes once again but then pointed at the hall that she walked down.

"Then you're blind." I said simply, snickering at Hermione's expression as she saw plenty of boys turn their heads.

"I'm telling you, that not a normal girl!" said Ron as he leaned to get a view of her, "They don't make them like that at Hogwarts!"

"They make them okay at Hogwarts," Harry responded, looking at an entirely different girl who looked Asian. I grinned as I looked at her black hair and eyes, the clear marking of a Demon Tribesmen. Too bad she probably was unaware of it.

"When you've both put your eyes back in," Hermione said briskly, "You'll be able to see who's just arrived." She scoffed at them before turning to me. "Honestly, I think they can learn from you, Yuri. You don't seem to be affected by her at all!"

I chuckled a bit before winking at her, "Hermione, I have almost as much experience with girls who demand attention as I do with boys who demand attention. And, yes, that includes Murata." I took a bite of my last sushi and continued onto my curry.

This gave me time to look up at the teacher's table with all the new arrivals. "What are they doing here?" said Harry in a surprised voice. I didn't know who these people were but the Golden Trio seemed to know them well.

"They organized the Triwizard Tournament, didn't they?" I stopped eating my food and looked over at Hermione. If what she was saying was true then I had a lot of questions for them. "I suppose they wanted to be here to see it start."

I was about to ask her a question but as I did the plates cleared and desserts were put on the table. I grinned as I noticed a bowl of pocky in three different colors. Chocolate, strawberry, and green tea. I looked over at Harry who also took some and placed it on his plate. I would have to thank Murata when I was done.

I grinned as Ron took some kind of French dessert and put it to the side where the veela girl could see it. She looked over when Ron wasn't looking, but one glance at me and she turned her head. Once the golden plates had been cleared, Dumbledore stood up once again. Tension filled the room to some degree and I raised an eyebrow at everyone who seemed to be excited about the oncoming tournament.

"The moment had come," said Dumbledore, smiling around at all of us. "The Triwizard Tournament is about to start. I would like to say a few words of explanation before we bring in the casket -"

"The what?" Harry muttered under his breath. I leaned my elbow on the table and rested my chin on my hand. I knew what was coming next. I knew it from the memories that Murata had given me, but I really wasn't looking forward to it.

" – just to clarify the procedure that we will be following this year. But first, let me introduce, for those who do not know them, Mr. Bartemius Crouch, Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation" a polite applause was echoing through the room. I joined in. "and Mr. Ludo Bagman, Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports."

A much louder applause rang true throughout the hall. I joined in, but with about as much enthusiasm as before. The man acknowledged it with a wave and a smile with the other man did not move. I caught Mr. Crouch's eye and I knew that he probably wasn't the best person to socialize with.

I yawned as Dumbledore continued with his speech. There was something about an Age Line and about having to be at least seventeen to enter in the tournament. I rolled my eyes as the Goblet of Fire was revealed. Honestly, it wasn't that impressive.

"An Age Line!" exclaimed one of the Weasley twins. I couldn't tell which. "Well, that should be fooled by an Aging Potion, shouldn't it? And once your name's in that goblet, you're laughing – it can't tell whether you're seventeen or not!" I rolled my eyes at him. It would never work, there was probably more than an Age Line protecting that goblet.

"But I don't think anyone under seventeen will stand a chance," said Hermione doubtfully, "we just haven't learned enough . . ."

"Speak for yourself," said the other twin. "You'll try and get in, won't you, Harry?" I watched as my green-eyed friend was lost in thought for a minute. The twin shook his head and turned to me, "What about you, Yuri?" I looked at him out of the corner of my eye before answering.

"No way. I've seen how dangerous this tournament can be and I seriously don't want to get involved." Everyone gapped at me except Ron who wasn't listening.

"How-?" Hermione was about to ask until Ron interrupted her.

"Where is he?" he said obviously looking for Krum. "Dumbledore didn't say where the Durmstrang people are sleeping, did he?"

"Back to the ship, then," I heard Karkaroff say to his students. "Viktor, how are you feeling? Did you eat enough? Should I send for some mulled wine from the kitchens?" I wrinkled my nose at the thought of wine. It wasn't like I hated it; I just couldn't stand the smell.

Krum shook his head and pulled his furs on. "Professor, I vood like some vine," said one of the other boys. I watched as the boy was pushed off rather rudely and dismissed as some sort of pig.

We reached the doors at the same moment the Durmstrang students did. Harry and I stopped Ron and Hermione so that they could go through first. "Thank you," the man said carelessly before he glanced at Harry. Just one look at Harry stopped the man in his tracks; I frowned as he just stood there and stared. It was really rude, not to mention creepy.

"Sir," I said in an even tone, hoping to get him to go away. "If you're done gawking would you please let everyone through?" The man turned to me as if I were some sort of maggot. He reminded me of those muggers back home who liked to pick a fight with me whenever possible.

"What did you say? You should have some respect boy!" I sighed at his tone. I mean, c'mon! He wasn't even my teacher, this was getting annoying.

"Well, well, well, rude as ever I see. Shouldn't it be you showing respect?" I turned to see Murata standing there with his arms crossed and a book in his hand. "I thought you were better than that, Kar-chan!" he said with a smile on his face. Karkaroff seemed to be speechless as he looked Murata over. It was then that he scoffed and moved on, allowing everyone thorough.

As we walked back to the Common Room, Hermione addressed me, "Are you mad? That was Karkaroff!" I rolled my eyes, feeling tired and a bit annoyed.

"Despite who he is he had no right demanding for respect when he showed none to his students. He also had no right to be rude, seeing as he is a guest. It's only common sense to oblige to the culture of where you are, and you know, no one stops in the middle of the hall just to gawk at someone famous. Or at least, not someone who knows better." I rubbed my eyes and sighed in relief as I saw the portrait up ahead.

* * *

I got up at my usual early time and was surprised to see that I wasn't the only one up. About half the school was too. As I reached the Great Hall I heard laughter and froze as I saw the Weasley twins with beards. "I did warn you," I turned to see Professor Dumbledore. "I suggest you both go up to Madam Pomfrey. She is already tending to Miss Fawcett, of Ravenclaw, and Mr. Summers, of Hufflepuff, both of whom decided to age themselves up a little too. Though I must say, neither of their beards is anything like as fine as yours."

I shook my head and ate my breakfast quickly. Today was a Saturday and I was going to spend it the way I wanted to. That meant that I was going to play baseball. I licked my lips as I finished my egg and toast before running off to find Neville. He was seriously going to enjoy it.

I found him in the common room, reading a book on Herbology. I stood in front of him and waited for him to notice me. He glanced up and fell backwards as he finally noticed my presence. "Y-Yuri! You scared me!" I grinned and took the book from him. I had to admit it looked interesting.

"Today's the day Neville!" I said excitedly as I grabbed his sleeve and my baseball supplies before dragging him out of the common room.

"W-where are we going?" He asked, still clutching his book. I grinned and gave him a glove.

"We're teaching you how to play baseball!" I said excitingly as I pulled him forward and out of the castle. Several students were staring at us as we passed, but I ignored them. I was way too excited to play.

The field was empty except for Ron, Harry and Hermione who were walking down to Hagrid's hut. I waved at them and they waved back before turning to Neville. He had this scared expression on his face. "No worries, okay? You're gonna really like this." I pulled out my own glove and took off my cloak and rolled up my sleeves. The school uniform wasn't the best for this game but it was doable.

Neville did the same and even pulled on his glove. To my surprise, he put it on the right hand as well. I leaned on my one knee and got in position. I waited for Neville to be ready before throwing the ball to him. He caught it, but just barely. "Ok, throw that ball to me as hard as you can!" He gave me a skeptical look before throwing it to me. It was weak but it was pretty accurate as to where my glove was. I smiled up at him. "Weak throw, but great accuracy! I told you, you could do this Neville!" He blushed at my words and stumbled again as he tried to catch the ball I threw to him.

It was pretty fun playing with Neville. He had a real knack for the game and he was enjoying himself too. We played for hours but it only seemed like a few minutes to us. But pretty soon, there was a light drizzle and we had to go inside. We had lunch and then went back up to the common room to do some homework. Neville helped me on my Herbology and I helped him on his Transfiguration.

We looked at the clock only to realize that it was getting pretty late. "Time for dinner?" I asked as I shut my Defense Against the Dark Arts book. Neville shrugged as if he didn't want to stop.

"Yeah, I suppose." We hurried down to the Great Hall where students were gathering and whispering to each other. The Halloween feast was amazing, but a bit gloomy. I looked around to see that most of the students were fidgeting in their seats. Once the plates were cleared, the room seemed to grow silent as Dumbledore told us that the champions were to proceed into the next room when chosen. I watched as the goblet started spewing red fire. It excelled a piece of paper to which Dumbledore read out. "The champion for Durmstrang," he read in a strong voice, "will be Viktor Krum."

After the cheering and clapping everyone finally calmed down enough for the goblet to spew out another red flame with another piece of paper. "The champion for Beauxbatons," he said reading it out to the school, "is Fleur Delacour!" I watched as the veela girl stood up and joined her fellow champion behind the chamber.

There was some excited whispering but I ignored it and focused on the goblet. Something didn't feel right. The goblet lit up once more with red flame and out came the last piece of parchment. "The Hogwarts champion, "He called out, "is Cedric Diggory!" I looked over at the Hufflepuff table that was cheering and smiled. Whoever it was seemed to be really popular.

"Excellent!" Dumbledore cried out happily. "Well, we now have our three champions. I am sure I can count upon all of you, including the remaining students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, to give your champions every ounce of support you can muster. By cheering your champion on you will contribute in a very real – "

He stopped short as the Goblet of Fire once again spewed out flames. Sparks were flying everywhere as not one, but two pieces of parchment came out of it. Dumbledore reached up and took both papers with one and read out the first one. "_Harry Potter."_ He said in a disbelieving tone, he looked at the second one and called out something that would haunt me for the rest of the year, "_Yuri Shibuya."_ Talk about a good day turned bad.

* * *

Me: OH OH OH OH! IT'S STARTING!

Friend: Yeah yeah, keep writing

Me: Have some more enthusiasm will you?

Friend: No.


	16. Chapter 16

Me: Well, here's the next chapter . . .

Friend: Have fun reading, we stayed up all night for this.

Me: You mean I stayed up all night . . . .

Friend: Whatever . . . .

* * *

"I didn't put my name in," Harry said in a blank, stunned tone. "You know I didn't." He looked at Hermione and Ron and then he looked to me. I sighed. This was not turning out well. I grabbed Harry's sleeve and brought him up to the Headmaster before we drew anymore attention to ourselves.

"Well . . . head through the door you two," said Dumbledore. He wasn't smiling at us. Harry still stood there with a stunned look on his face and I sighed once more. This wasn't going to be easy.

"C'mon, Harry. Through the door." I said as I pushed him slightly until he walked on his own. As we went through the door I realized how the room was a few degrees hotter than it was in the Great Hall. There was a fire where the other three champions were surrounding. I walked to the side and waited for everyone else to enter the room. Harry joined me, to which I was grateful for.

I crossed my arms and watched as Ludo Bagman entered the room first. He grabbed us both by the arm and started exclaiming, "Extraordinary! Absolutely extraordinary! Gentlemen . . . lady," he added as an afterthought, "May I introduce our fourth," he shook Harry a bit, "and our fifth champions!" he shook me a little. I face-palmed and watched as Krum straightened up, Cedric looked nonplussed, and Fleur passed it off as some sort of joke. I shook myself out of Bagman's grasp and went back to lean on the wall.

"But evidently zair 'as been a mistake," said Fleur with frustration in her voice. "Zey cannot compete. Zey are too young."

"Actually, that is where you are mistaken Miss. Delacour." I heard the familiar voice of my friend Murata and grimaced. I had a bad feeling that part of this was his fault and probably the fault of a meddlesome King who can't just rest in peace. "Yuri is seventeen, although you may not believe me." I groaned and covered my eyes with my hand. I really couldn't watch this.

Just then the door opened and a whole group of people came marching in. "Madame Maxime!" said Fleur at immediately as she walked over to her Headmistress. "Zey are saying zat zese little boys are to compete also!" I rolled my eyes in frustration. 'Little boys'? That was a bit much.

"What is ze meaning of zis, Dumbly-dorr?" she said, turning her attention to the Headmaster.

"I would like to know that myself, Dumbledore," said Karkaroff as he eyed me and Harry suspiciously. "_Three _Hogwarts champions? I don't remember anyone telling me that the host school is allowed three champions – or have I not read the rules carefully enough?" He gave a cliché evil laugh with that. I almost laughed at him back, but I felt like it wasn't the time.

"C'est impossible," said Madame Maxime with her hand on her student's shoulder protectively. I felt like I liked her a lot more then I liked Karkaroff. "'Ogwarts cannot 'ave three champions. It is most injust."

"We were under the impression that your Age Line would keep out younger contestants, Dumbledore," said Karkaroff. "Otherwise, we would, of course, have brought along a wider selection of candidates from our own schools."

Okay, that made me mad. I grit my teeth together and clenched my hand into a fist. "It's no one's fault but Potter's and Shibuya's, Karkaroff," said Snape softly. My eyes widened at his words. What? "Don't go blaming Dumbledore for their determination to break rules –" I slammed my fist on the wall behind me. Creating a loud noise of clatter as it shook the shelf above me.

" . . . Professor Snape," I said in a whisper, but loud enough for them to hear me, "Are you suggesting, that Harry and I, were somehow able to get across the Age Line and jinx the Goblet into thinking that there were five schools competing so that we would get ensured a place in the Triwizard Tournament? Sure it is possible, but are you _seriously _suggesting that we have the _skill _to do such a thing?"

Snape looked at me with his cold back eyes. Demon against Demon. I seriously wanted to laugh, but I was too angry. "Maybe not a skill suited for Mr. Potter, but you Mr. Shibuya have shown great prowess as a wizard equal to that of Miss Granger." This time I did laugh and unsurprisingly so did Murata.

"Professor, I have only known of the existence of the wizarding world for a few months. Do you honestly expect me to have such skill right away?" My voice grew deeper with each word but I didn't pay attention. "If you do not wish for me to compete then I will _gladly _step down. I don't have a death wish for pointless glory."

"Thank you, Yuri and Severus," said Dumbledore in a firm voice. I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye, never taking Snape out of my sight. I could feel my now longer hair on my shoulders and I knew that I was on the verge of going into 'Demon-King Mode'. The old man then looked from me to Harry before deciding to talk, "Did you two put your name into the Goblet of Fire?"

"No," Harry and I answered at the same time. Although my 'no' was a little firmer and Snape just had to give a huff of disbelief.

"Did you ask an older student to put it into the Goblet of Fire for you?" continued Dumbledore, ignoring the greasy-haired Professor.

"No,"

"Hu,"(1.)I put my hand over my mouth as I said 'no' in the language of the Demon Kingdom. I needed to calm down, and fast.

Dumbledore gave me a look but it was interrupted by Madame Maxime's voice, "Ah, but of course 'zey are lying!" I rolled my eyes and drowned them out and their pointless bickering. Honestly, did anything I say mean _nothing _to them? Or was it that they couldn't listen to a 'child'?

"Empty threat, Karkaroff," growled a voice from the door. I stiffened as Moody came into the room. "You can't leave your champion now. He's got to compete. They've all got to compete. Binding magical contract, like Dumbledore said. Convenient, eh?" I glared over at the old man and his tainted soul. Convenient indeed.

"Convenient?" said Karkaroff. "I'm afraid I don't understand you, Moody."

"Don't you?" Moody asked quietly, "It's very simple, Karkaroff. Someone put their names into the goblet, knowing that they would have to compete when their names came out. I agree with Shibuya here, someone did jinx the goblet to make it think that five schools were competing. How else can you explain more than three names coming out of that goblet? I hear you all complaining and yet the only two people who have got a right to complain are Potter and Shibuya and funny, I don't hear them saying a thing . . ."

"Why should 'zey complain?" yelled out Fleur Delacour as she stamped her foot, "'Zey hav' ze chance to compete! We 'ave all been 'oping to be chosen for weeks and weeks! Ze honor for our schools! A thousand Galleons prize money – zis is a chance many would die for!"

"Maybe someone's hoping they _are _going to die for it," Moody said with a slight growl, "There's something bothering me though. I get Potter, there are many a Deatheater who would like to get to him, but why you boy?" He turned to me and stared at me with that creepy blue eye of his. I shrugged. I had a pretty good idea as to why they wanted me, but I wasn't about to say what.

"You seem to have given this a great deal of thought, Moody," said Karkaroff in a very cold voice, "and a very ingenious theory it is – though of course, I heard you recently got it into your head that one of your birthday presents contained a cunningly disguised basilisk egg, and smashed it to pieces before realizing it was a carriage clock. So you'll understand if we don't take you entirely seriously . . . ."

"There are those who'll turn innocent occasions to their advantage," said Moody darkly, "It's my job to think the way of Dark wizards do, Karkaroff – as you ought to remember. . . ."

"Alastor!" Dumbledore said warningly, I looked at all three Headmasters and knew that this wasn't going to end well. "How this situation arose, we do not know," said Dumbledore, raising his voice so everyone could hear, "It seems to me, however, that we have no choice but to accept it. Cedric, Harry and Yuri have all been chosen to compete in this Tournament. This, therefore, they will do. . . ."

"Ah, but Dumbly-dorr –"

"Madame Maxime," I interrupted her, hoping that I could at least lesson this situation, "I also agree that three champions for one school is unfair. Seeing as I am a transfer student, how about I simply represent my original school?" The large woman gave me a look before Snape interrupted.

"Mr. Shibuya. I hardly doubt you representing a Muggle school is appropriate."

I rolled my eyes, "Whoever said I went to a Muggle school? It is true that I didn't know about the wizarding world until but a few months ago, but don't be so proud as a wizard, Professor, to think that you are the only one in this world who possess magic."

His eyes widened before closing his mouth for a second time. I felt pretty good about myself when I did that. "Well, shall we crack on, then?" said Bagman as he rubbed his hands together. "Got to give out champions their instructions, haven't we? Barty, want to do the honors?" I looked over at Mr. Crouch who seemed like he had just woken up from a daze.

"Yes," he said, "instructions. Yes . . . the first task . . ." he moved over to the firelight in order to get everyone's attention. "The first task is designed to test your daring," he told us in a no-nonsense voice. "so we are not going to be telling you what it is. Courage in the face of the unknown is an important quality in a wizard . . . very important . . . . The first task will take place on November twenty-fourth, in front of the other students and the panel of judges. The champions are not permitted to ask for or accept help of any kind from their teachers to complete the tasks in the tournament. The champions will face the first challenge armed with only their wands. They will receive information about the second task when the first is over. Owing to the demanding and time-consuming nature of the tournament, the champions are exempted from end-of-year tests."

I yawned. Seriously this guy was really boring to listen too, good thing I was used to that. Mr. Crouch turned to Dumbledore. "I think that's all, is it, Albus?"

"I think so," Dumbledore replied, looking over Mr. Crouch who was looking ill himself. "Are you sure you wouldn't like to stay at Hogwarts tonight, Barty?"

"No, Dumbledore, I must get back to the Ministry," He replied "It is a very busy, very difficult time at the moment. . . . I've left young Weatherby in charge. . . .Very enthusiastic . . .a little overenthusiastic, if truth be told. . . ."

I drowned out the voices that continued to talk. I was dead tired; this had been a long day. I ignored Dumbledore as he told us to go to bed. Technically, I was part of another school so it really didn't matter if I went up or not. Harry and Cedric exchanged a few words before heading out. Harry hesitated as he looked back as me but I gestured for him to go on. I had to talk to Murata.

"Murata . . ." I said quietly as to get his attention, "Did you put my name into the goblet?" Murata looked at me through his glasses but sighed and shook his head.

"Sorry, Shibuya, but it wasn't me. I tried to prevent it, but I guess I missed whoever did it." I rubbed my forehead. Murata had never lied to me before. Sure, he withheld information, but never lied. I hoped that I could trust his word this time.

"Mr. Shibuya," I looked over at Dumbledore who addressed me, "Seeing as you are representing your previous school, can you see to it that your Headmaster meets us here for the Tournament?" I nodded, but then froze. Oh boy, that was going to be a tough one.

"Don't worry, Albus. I have it all arranged," said Murata with one of his evil smirks. I sighed and nodded, hoping that whoever it was, was not Gunter.

"I'm going to bed." I said simply as I walked out of the room and through the empty Great Hall. I was not in the mood to deal with whatever it is they were going to discuss. I walked all the way until I reached the portrait with the Fat Lady. She was talking with some sort of witch and was about to address me when I said, "Balderdash." I was seriously not in the mood.

The portrait swung open and I went inside. Many people cheered when I walked in but I completely ignored them and walked up the stairs. "I'm tired," was all I said as I went up to the dorm room. I stopped though, when I heard voices.

"It's okay, you know, you can tell me the truth," I heard Ron say. "If you don't want everyone else to know, fine, but I don't know what you're bothering to lie, you didn't get into trouble for it, did you? That friend of the Fat Lady's, that Violet, she's already told us all Dumbledore's letting you enter. A thousand Galleons prize money, eh? And you don't have to do end-of-year tests either . . . ."

"I didn't put my name in that goblet!" Harry said in an angry tone. I slowly walked in but they didn't see me.

"Yeah, okay," said Ron in a skeptical tone, "Only you said this morning you'd have done it last night, and no one would've seen you. . . . I'm not stupid, you know."

"No, but your acting like a prick," I said as I walked into the room completely. "Honestly, this tournament is dangerous, Ron. Harry could, in all seriousness, _die._" I crossed my arms and stared at him as he glared at me. "Look, Harry did not put his name into that goblet. I've only been his friend for a few months and I believe him. You've been his best friend for what, three and a half years now? And yet your jealously is blocking your reason. Seriously, grow up." I was tired, I was angry and I was not in the mood to deal with a moody Ron.

"Yeah, whatever," said Ron as he pulled the curtains to his bed shut. I sighed and put a hand on Harry's shoulder. He looked betrayed, broken. It reminded me about how I felt when Saralegui betrayed me. "Let him cool down," I said before going to my own bed, "He'll get over it." I changed into my pajamas and got ready for bed. Tomorrow was going to be a long day.

I watched as Harry copied my movements and changed into his pajamas as well. I felt sorry for him. From what it looked like, Ron was his best friend and if he lost trust from a best friend then . . . . I sighed, deciding not to think about it for now. Instead, I wondered who would be coming to Hogwarts as my 'Headmaster'. That was going to be interesting.

* * *

I woke up later than usual the next morning. Everyone was gone, probably down to breakfast. I sighed and walked down into the common room. To my surprise, no one clapped or cheered for me, I was grateful for that but I also felt a little guilty. This probably meant that all that attention would go to Harry instead. He already looked annoyed enough at it, I probably could use some peace and quiet as well.

I went down to breakfast only to see a sign posted up. I glanced at it and widened my eyes as I realized this was the reason for the Gryffindor's lack of cheer.

**Attention Students**

Due to the drawing of three Hogwarts Champions, we have decided that Mr. Yuri Shibuya will be representing his previous school instead of our own. The Headmaster of this school is to make his arrival at 5 o'clock tomorrow and we expect you to be on your best behavior.

Signed;

_Professor McGonagall_

Well, they were quick to announce. Although, I was a bit curious as to which 'Headmaster' was coming. The poster seemed to refer to the 'Headmaster' as a male so that would narrow down my search a bit. I really hoped it wouldn't be Gunter. Not because I didn't like Gunter, but more because he would probably object to me being submitted to dangerous tasks. Conrad seemed like a good choice, but once again if I was put in danger he would probably do something rash.

I walked over to the Gryffindor table and started eating my breakfast. I was aware of the eyes that were on me, but I did seriously not like them. "Uh, guys?" I asked as I looked to my left to see Fred, George, Angelina and Ron looking at me. "It's kind of rude to stare." I said as I took a bite into my toast. A few of them turned their heads around while Fred and George decided to bother me.

"We heard, mate," said one.

"Though we can't say we like it," said the other.

"Are you betraying us, mate? I thought you were a Hogwarts man, but I guess not," said the first one.

"Look, guys, do you seriously think that they would allow _three _Hogwarts champions? Sure, I'm the one who suggested it, but just because I'm representing my old school doesn't mean I don't like Hogwarts!" I sighed as I pushed my plate away. "Look, I'll make you a deal. If I do win the thousand galleons, and I'm not saying that I will." I put in quickly as I saw their faces, "I'll give it all to the Gryffindor Quidditch team, how about that?"

"That's mighty generous of you, mate," said one of the twins.

"But why do it for us, eh?" said the other.

"Wouldn't it be better for you to give that money," I rolled my eyes as they switched off.

"To your previous school?" finished the other.

"My school has no use for the money and neither do I. I'm honestly more worried about my life at this point. I don't see how you all could pass it off as some sort of game." I took a swing of my pumpkin juice before getting up. "I'm going for a walk before my 'Headmaster' comes." I grimaced as I said 'Headmaster'. I was really scared to find out who it was. "See ya," I waved as I walked out of the Great Hall.

* * *

The next day was horrible. For the most part, everyone just ignored me. It seemed that the news had gotten around that I wasn't representing Hogwarts anymore. I was fine with that, but it seemed like Harry got the worst of it. The Hufflepuffs, who were normally so friendly with the Gryffindors, were very cold toward us as if we were traitors. It was a depressing feeling, but not as depressing as how Hermione tried to get Ron and Harry to talk again. Oddly enough, Ron talked to me, but I think that was only to hurt Harry more.

When Care of Magical Creatures came around I knew that there would be trouble. Sure enough Malfoy comes marching in here to mock him. I glared at him, but he only turned his attention toward me. I was fine with that though. I had been called worse things than a 'Mud-blood'. The name calling seemed to make my friends even angrier with him. "Watch your mouth, Malfoy," said Harry warningly.

Malfoy only sneered and said, "I don't see why I should. It's the truth isn't it Shibuya? Your parents are Muggle, are they not?" I sighed and continued to pay attention to my Blast-Ended Skrewt. "Or maybe you don't want to admit it? Maybe you're ashamed? I would be too with parents like yours."

I gave him a very bored expression. Seriously, could this kid come up with nothing better to do then insult other people's families? "Malfoy, are you human?" I asked seriously. I knew he what answer he would give me, but I really didn't care at this point.

"What are you going on about, of course I'm human, you Mud-blood!" He said in an insulted tone. I straightened up and gave him the best glare I could without going into Demon-King Mode.

"Are you sure? Are you positive that your entire family history is human?" I asked, as I took a step forward. He stepped back, a little shocked.

"O-Of course, I'm sure!" he said, straightening himself up, "What else would I be?"

"Well, I'm not human." I said simply, "Not completely, anyway." I then turned my attention to Hagrid who was now instructing us to walk our Blast-Ended Skrewt. That wasn't really a problem to me because mine just followed me everywhere. I watched as many students tried, but failed to tie a rope around the creatures. I even smiled as Hagrid took Harry aside. I knew that he would believe him, even if other people didn't.

* * *

After classes I somehow got cornered by Hermione with a whole bunch of questions I seriously didn't think I was allowed to answer. "Yuri, tell me the truth! Who are you?" She had her hands on her hips with a serious glare on me. I knew that stance. My mom made that stance whenever she thought I had gotten a bad grade or have gotten myself into trouble. Due to that stance, I knew I was not getting out of this.

"W-what do you mean?" My eye twitched, hoping that I wasn't revealed.

"Everything is suspicious about you Yuri. I'm sorry but I trust you, but I need to make sure that my trust isn't misplaced," she sighed before relaxing herself and rubbing her eyes. She looked like she hadn't slept in days. "With this Triwizard Tournament and Harry suddenly being a champion . . . I think something else is going on and, well, every question I come up with it seems like you would have an answer."

I thought about it. Yes, it did seem strange that I could also be in the Tournament, not to mention that my 'Headmaster' from a different magic school was coming. There was also the fact that I was friends with Murata, a seventeen-year-old spaz who has four-thousand years of memories stored up. Not to mention I kept on slipping into Demon-King mode slightly whenever I was angry. I didn't know what it was but it was like the magic in the air was heightening my emotions. I could barely control them.

"Hermione, I know you mean well, but whatever secrets I have I cannot share with you. Just trust me when I say that I'm not here to hurt Harry or anyone else for that matter. It's not that I couldn't trust you with the information that I have . . . it's just . . . ." I stopped there, hoping she would understand. She sighed, but nodded and walked away. I felt really bad about doing that; especially to a girl who was only trying to help her friends, but I was also in a tight fix. It wasn't like I could tell her everything even if I wanted to.

* * *

That night was probably the most anxious night I had in ages. I sat at the dinner table, squeezing my palms together in worry. Don't get me wrong, I trusted Murata with my life, but sometimes I think that's the only thing I can trust him with. I looked up at the teachers table only to realize that there were _two _empty seats. I bit my lip and stared down at my untouched food. Oh God(?), please let it be someone reasonable.

When everyone was in the Great Hall there was a clang and I realized that Dumbledore was hitting his fork against his glass. I wiped the sweat from my forehead before looking up to see who it was. My eyes widened at the sight of the two new 'Headmasters'. "Ahem, I would like to introduce our new guests," said Dumbledore with his loud voice booming across the hall. "This is Sir Conrart Weller and Sir Gwendal von Voltaire." "Drec ec hud kuut . . . ."(2) I said in the Demon Language.

* * *

Me: (1) No (2) This is not good . . . .

I'll make an Omake based on the request of whoever can guess the language I'm using first. I known I should probably be using German, but I thought that would be WAY too cliche. Also I love this language.

Friend: Don't reveal it . . .

Me: Oh right! Um, yeah. Once again, the prize will be an Omake based on 'A Demon's Magic'. The scene can be requested or I can write the entire thing for you. Oh! And no using a translator. That would just be cheating . . . .


	17. Chapter 17

Me: I know it's shorter, but you know what, 3000 words it a lot to write in one night.

Friend: . . . .

Me: You know what? That rhymes!

Friend: I'm sorry, what?

Me: . . . .

* * *

There were a lot of changes that occurred during the week. Seeing as how Dumbledore didn't know how the students would act with their previous classmate as a competing champion, he gave me a separate room in a part of the castle that wasn't used for classes. I would still attend classes normally, but I wouldn't be part of the Gryffindor House anymore. It was kind of lonely, especially when a lot of the students distanced themselves from me. It wasn't like they were mean to me, but it wasn't like I was part of them either. I was just a guest.

I still wore my school robes, though. They didn't have the Gryffindor colors on them anymore, but I didn't mind. It felt like I wasn't a complete stranger. I was really glad to have Conrad around too. He accompanied me almost everywhere and his room was right next to mine. Gwendal's room was on the other side of mine. For some reason it was reassuring to have Gwendal there. Not because I couldn't count on Conrad, but he did have this glare that scared off anyone.

Harry, however, was getting the worst of it. The Hufflepuffs weren't mean to him, but they did ignore him to some degree. The Ravenclaws were the same way, although they didn't glare like the Hufflepuffs did. The Slytherins were the worst. They taunted him whenever he walked through the halls or even in classes. Most of the taunts were made by Malfoy and I was seriously starting to hate the boy.

One day, I was running late to potions when I saw a commotion going on. I saw Hermione and one of Malfoy's bodyguards on the ground. The bodyguard looked even more like a toad than before, while Hermione's teeth were growing in size. I widened my eyes as I heard shouts.

"Potter attacked me, sir –"

"We attacked each other at the same time!" Harry countered.

"—and he hit Goyle – look –" Malfoy finished.

Snape looked at Goyle before saying, "Hospital wing, Goyle,"

This time it was Ron's turn to should, "Malfoy got Hermione!" He said as he forced Hermione to show her teeth. "Look!"

"I see no difference." He said in a cold voice, this caused Hermione to run out of the dungeons, crying. That sparked something in me. This stupid House rivalry was going far enough. I snapped, and before Harry or Ron could get anything out of their mouths, I punched Snape.

I could feel my Demon Magic flaring within me as it started pouring into my physical being. My hair grew down to the shoulders and I knew that I probably looked nothing like the previous Yuri Shibuya. "Despicable," I said in my low-tone voice, "A teacher who displays such behavior should not be a teacher. You are no better than a bully who would make a girl cry just to get the pleasure of knowing that you were better than her. You disgust me."

I picked Snape up with the wind elements that were now swarming me. At my command, they threw him at the wall, but not enough to hurt him. "Severus Snape, I hereby order you to change your ways. If you do not, then you shall feel my wrath again." With that I released him. He stumbled for his wand but it had flown out of his hand. I looked back at the group of students who were staring at me. Many girls had gone weak in the knees and fell. A lot of the boys had flinched as they saw my face. Harry and Ron were just staring at me through an open mouth.

I walked out of the dungeons as I was still in Demon-King Mode. No one followed me, to which I was grateful for. I released my magic but stumbled afterward. I breathed in deeply in order to regain some of my strength. "Close call," I whispered to myself before heading up to the Hospital Wing where Hermione would be no doubt.

I walked all the way up. Not even bothering to hurry. I really didn't feel like going back to potions, not after what happened. It took about a half an hour to get there at the pace I was going at but I made it all the same. The Hospital Wing was empty except for Hermione and Goyle. Goyle was lying on his back and groaning like a little baby, while Hermione was sitting there and toughing it out. I rolled my eyes as I walked in. "Can I help you?" asked the nurse as she spotted me.

I smiled as I replied, "No, I'm here to see Hermione." My voice was smooth and it was a little lower than usual. I could only guess that it was because I was still feeling slightly angry at the whole situation. The nurse nodded and I turned to look at Hermione who was firmly seated on her bed. Her teeth were shortened down to their normal size but she was still rubbing her mouth.

I went over and sat next to her. I didn't say anything because I was waiting for her to wipe away her tears and calm down a little. "It's not fair," she said finally and she covered her eyes with her hand. "He's a _teacher_. He should know better! I just feel so . . . so . . ." I pulled out a handkerchief from my pocket and handed it to her. She dabbed away her tears and continued to sob.

I cleared my throat before tapping my fingers on my lap. "If it helps . . ." I said quietly before whispering in her ear so that the nurse didn't hear me, "I punched him for you." Her eyes went wide before she turned to me. The tears in her eyes stopped flowing as her mouth twitched up a little.

"It's ok, Yuri. You don't have to lie for me, but thank you anyway," I raised an eyebrow at her statement before leaning back a bit. I chuckled as I recounted the memory in where I punched Snape.

"Who said I was lying?" She turned to me and I winked at her before continuing, "If you stay at the Hospital Wing a little longer then you might just see him come up here." I stretched and got up from my spot on the bed. "Excuse me, Madam Pomfrey?" I said, wondering if I had gotten her name right. She turned to me with a surprised look. "I'm not an expert but I don't think Hermione looks well, could you give her some time off?" The nurse glanced at Hermione and then looked back at me.

"I'm not so sure, but better to be safe than sorry. I have to thank you, Mr. Shibuya. Those three tend to get themselves into a lot of trouble but never do they stay here long enough." She huffed in annoyance before turning to Hermione who gave me a betrayed look on her face and with her protestations of being fine. Just then someone walked into the room.

"Excuse me, but I'm to take Yuri Shibuya to meet Mr. Bagman," I looked over at the timid voice and nodded, saying that I would be there.

"Have fun Hermione!" I said as I walked out, laughing at her expression. She looked positively outraged. I followed the small Gryffindor through the hallways and to a small classroom door. I shrugged and walked in, only to see Harry on the other side. "Ah! Excellent! Our fifth champion has arrived!" I looked over to Ludo Bagman who exclaimed my presence. "Now, all there is to do is the wand weighing ceremony –"

"Wand weighing?" Harry repeated in a nervous tone. I put my hand on his shoulder to reassure him that there was nothing to worry about.

"We have to check that your wands are fully functional, no problems, you know, as they're your most important tools in the tasks ahead," said Bagman. "The expert's upstairs now with Dumbledore. And then there's going to be a little photo shoot. This is Rita Skeeter," He added, as he gestured toward a witch in magenta robes. "She's doing a small piece on the tournament for the _Daily Prophet_. . . ."

"Maybe not _that _small, Ludo," said Rita Skeeter as she eyed Harry with a greedy interest. Oh no, a reporter, just what we needed. I squeezed my hand on Harry's shoulder. Her soul wasn't evil, but it wasn't that of a saint either but she was definitely one to lie. "I wonder if I could have a little word with Harry before we start?" she said to Bagman but didn't move her eyes from Harry. "The youngest champion, you know . . . to add a bit of color?"

Harry looked back at me with a panicked look on his face. I shook my head as I stared down the Skeeter woman. I did not like this. "Certainly!" cried Bagman. "That is – if Harry has no objection?"

"Er –" said Harry unsurely.

"Lovely," she said as she reached out to grab for him, but I grabbed her wrist instead.

"He didn't say 'yes'." I said coldly. Everyone was making me angry today. First it was Snape, and now it was this Skeeter woman. Being rude had its limits. She pulled back her hand from my grasp.

"You must be . . . Mr. Yuri Shibuya? I must say that I have a lot of questions for you as well, and this school you are from. I have never heard of it, can you tell me the name?" Her beady eyes turned to me and I could swear they were glistening with a thirst for knowledge.

"No comment," I said simply, hoping she would get the hint. To my dismay, she didn't.

"Oh, come now. It is true that your ancestor participated in the Triwizard Tournament as well?" I honestly didn't know that, but I hid my surprise from her. Instead I straightened myself up and looked her in the eye.

"No comment," I said in an even lower voice, she stepped back a little before trying to continue. To my utter relief she couldn't, due to the fact that Gwendal was now standing between her and me.

"If you have nothing better to do then bother my student, I suggest that you leave." He had his arms crossed and his height difference from her was astounding. Gwendal sure was the guy you wanted on your side of a fight. He even had his sword at his hip.

Rita huffed before tapping her unusually long fingernails, "Well now, I say it's time for our interview Harry." Gwendal put an arm out to stop her from going around him.

"Stop bothering them, they need to prepare. Now go!" His voice was so menacing that even I flinched. Harry looked at me with an open mouth but I could only smile and sweat drop. That was Gwendal, serious and straight to the point.

"If I could have everyone's attention," said another voice from the door, "The weighing of the wands is about to begin." I looked over to see Dumbledore standing in the doorway; obviously angry at the Skeeter woman too by the way he looked at her. Behind Dumbledore was a silver-haired man with misty gray-blue eyes. "May I introduce, Mr. Ollivander?" I moved my eyes from the man and then to Dumbledore. I then looked at Harry who had a surprised look on his face. I could only guess that he got his wand from this man as well.

Harry and I took a seat, next to the other champions. Harry sat next to Cedric while I sat on the end. Gwendal took a seat next to the other judges and I spotted Conrad leaning against the wall in the back, smiling. Madame Maxime seemed to be staring at Gwendal, while Fleur eyed Conrad. It took me a minute to figure out why they were staring but then I realized it; they were some of the only women in the room. Oh God(?), why did Demons have to be extra handsome at times like this? I looked over at Rita who was wiping her head from Gwendal to Conrad and back again as she pulled out a pad of paper and a quill that looked like it moved on its own.

"Mademoiselle Delacour, could we have you first, please?" I watched as the strange girl lifted herself gracefully and flicked her hair to the side. She handed her wand to Mr. Ollivander and he examined it. "Yes," he whispered as he examined the wand, "nine and a half inches . . . inflexible . . . rosewood . . . and containing . . . dear me . . ."

"An' air from ze' ead of a veela," said Fleur with slight pride, "One of my grandmuzzer's."

I raised an eyebrow. So she was part veela. I looked over at Harry who wore a similar expression. "Yes," Mr. Ollivander continued, "yes, I've never used veela hair myself, of course. I find it makes for rather temperamental wands . . . however, to each his own, and if this suits you . . ." He ran his fingers over the wand, to check for any bumps or scratches. "_Orchideous!" _Suddenly, a bunch of flowers appeared from the tip of the wand. I looked over at Gwendal whose eyebrow twitched but otherwise he sat still. Conrad watched with amusement playing on his lips.

"Very well, very well, it's in fine working order," said Ollivander as he picked up the flowers and gave them to Fleur along with her wand. "Mr. Diggory, you next." The veela woman walked back to her seat, sending Cedric a smile as she passed by. Cedric handed Mr. Ollivander his wand, "Ah, not, this is one of mine, isn't it?" said Ollivander, with much more enthusiasm then he did with the other wands, "Yes, I remember it well. Containing a single hair from the tail of a particularly fine male unicorn . . . must have been seventeen hands; nearly gored me with his horn after I plucked his tail. Twelve and a quarter inches . . . ash . . . pleasantly springy. It's in fine condition . . . . You treat it regularly?"

"Polished it last night," Cedric said while grinning.

I jumped as gold sparks came from Harry's wand. I looked over at him but he only shrugged. Mr. Ollivander sent a few silver smoke rings out of Cedric's wand before handing it back to him.

"Mr. Krum, if you please." Krum slouched from his seat and lifted himself with a scowl. He kind of reminded me of Gwendal. He thrust out his wand and immediately stuffed his hand in his pockets afterward.

"Hmm," said Ollivander as he lifted the wand to examine it closely, "This is a Gregorovitch creation, unless I'm much mistaken? A fine wand-maker, though the styling is never quite what I . . . however . . ." He flipped it in his hand before continuing, "Yes . . . hornbeam and dragon heartstring?" He looked at Krum who nodded, "Rather thicker than one usually sees . . . quite rigid . . . ten and a quarter inches . . . _Avis!"_

There was a sound, oddly familiar to a gunshot, before a whole bunch of birds came out of the tip of his wand. "Good," he said as he handed back Krum's wand, ". . . Mr. Potter?" Harry slowly got up from his seat before heading up to Mr. Ollivander. He handed his wand to the silver-eyed man and watched as he examined it. "Aaaah, yes," He said with his eyes dulling in remembrance, "Yes, yes, yes. How well I remember." Mr. Ollivander took longer in examining Harry's wand then he did with the other champions. Eventually, he made a fountain of wine before turning to me.

"This leaves . . . Mr. Shibuya." I lifted myself off the chair and walked over to Mr. Ollivander, knowing that I had only seen him just a few months ago. I handed him my deep-purple wand to which he examined with interest. "Yes, just a few months ago I sold this wand . . . only three like it in the world." He turned his eye to Murata who was looking at the ceiling. "Your tribe is indeed, very strange Mr. Shibuya. Let's see, Purple-Heart wood . . ." His fingers traced it for any damage, "two phoenix cores, and very supple. You treat your wand well . . ." He then created a rainbow from my wand before handing it back to me. I bowed slightly before heading back to my seat.

"Thank you all," said Dumbledore as he stood up, "You may go back to your lessons now – or perhaps it would be quicker just to go down to dinner, as they are about to end –"

"Photos, Dumbledore, photos!" Bagman exclaimed. I groaned, I thought we could avoid that but apparently not. "All the judges and champions, what do you think, Rita?"

"Er – yes, let's do those first," said Rita Skeeter whose eyes traveled from Harry to me. "And then perhaps some individual shots."

The photos took an excruciatingly long time. Madame Maxime cast everyone into a shadow no matter where she stood and the cameraman couldn't get her in the shot, seeing as how she was too tall. Eventually Madame Maxime sat in the middle while we were all standing around her. Then came the individual shots to which I gave Conrad a pleading look saying 'save me'. He only shook his head and gestured for me to comply.

When dinner rolled around I saw that Hermione wasn't there. I looked over at the teacher's table to see Snape also missing and I grinned. Yes, hopefully that would cheer Hermione up. Harry sat at the table in a slump and I sat next to him. We ate in silence, but I could tell that the silence was appreciated by both of us.

Harry headed up to the common room while I went to my room. As I was walking, I ran into Conrad, who was smiling his usual smile, "Aren't you supposed to protect me?" I asked with a hint of sarcasm.

"There's no harm in pictures, your majesty." He replied as he ruffled my hair a bit.

"Stop calling me that, you're my Godfather!" I said as I tried to fix my hair. "Not to mention you _gave _me this name."

I heard him chuckle a bit before saying, "Of course, Yuri."

As we walked back, I told him everything that had happened. He listened all the way through, unfazed by how I described it when I punched Malfoy and Snape. Instead he just chuckled and shook his head. "Always causing trouble." Was all I heard before we reached out rooms.

I grinned at him before saying, "Good night," and walking into my room. Today had been a stressful day, and I seriously didn't want to repeat another one. It was great that I had Conrad to talk to. He was my escape and a reassurance that I would be safe. I fell onto my bed and laid there a bit before rolling over and looking up at the ceiling. What was the first task going to be? What was going to happen? I closed my eyes and pondered these things before drifting off to sleep.

* * *

Me: Hmm, hmm, hmm

Friend: What?

Me: Don't you think that Yuri was a bit OOC for this chapter?

Friend: Well, he is supposed to be older right? I think he just matured . . .

Me: Yeah, but he's still the naive Yuri we all know and love.

Friend: Yup . . . .


	18. Chapter 18

Me: Hm, I feel something burning . . . .

Friend: Oh, You're on fire . . .

Me: Oh ok, wait WHAT? *Puts fire out*

Friend: Yeah, I set you on fire because you took so long to update.

Me: It's not MY fault! The inspiration fairies left me . . . .

Friend: . . . . .What?

Me: The inspiration fairies! They said I was too strict . . . . how am I too strict?

Friend: Are you . . . . ok?

Me: Perfectly fine, why? *Insane smile*

Friend: Nevermind

* * *

There were whisperings at the breakfast table the next day. Apparently, my 'disagreement' with Snape had caused uproar. Oddly enough, no one knew it was me. To add to the fact that I had longer hair and a deeper voice, it turned out that it had been too dark in the dungeons to see my face clearly. The only person who knew who it really was was Hermione. But I trusted her not to blab. Not to mention that I did the punching for her.

The only problem with Hermione knowing was that she was terribly curious. She knew something wasn't right with me and she was determined to find out what it was. How did I know this? Well, I've seen her reading old newspaper articles and anything else that gave her insight on strange things. I didn't say anything, but I hopelessly prayed (?) that she would leave me alone.

Even Snape hadn't recognized me. He had addressed Dumbledore that there might be a strange creature in the castle that could impersonate a human or even possibly a Boggart. When I talked to Dumbledore about it, he said that there was nothing to worry about with Snape and that I should focus on the first task ahead.

Harry and Ron were as bad with each other as always. Harry had gotten detention while Ron was let off, but I had a feeling that if I left the situation alone that they would have gotten it together. I felt bad at messing up an opportunity for them to talk. Then again, Ron was probably happy that he didn't serve detention.

I couldn't go to class again after that. Not because I was scared of Snape but because I didn't feel like I belonged in class. Even the teachers were divided amongst themselves because of previous Houses that they belonged to. As I watched, I realized how similar this was to the Demon Kingdom. All the human countries had their differences but the one thing tying them all together was the fact that they had humanity. It was the same with this, only that Gryffindor was the Demon Kingdom and the other three Houses were the human countries. True, they were singled out, but they also retaliated which didn't help their situation anymore. I liked this school and the people in it but I just wished they could at least _tolerate _each other.

There was an article that came out about Harry hanging around Hermione and it was clearly suggestive. I was glad that I pulled Rita away from Harry because I knew that he probably would have made it worse. This woman just loved to twist things a

As I was looking through the _Daily Prophet _I spotted a section about me. I knew this woman was doing her best to slander me but I couldn't help but find it amusing.

Yuri Shibuya, the mysterious champion from a fourth school,

was graciously accepted as a champion when he suggested

to be the participant from his previous school. Mr. Shibuya

is the descendent of Mamoru Shibuya, a Triwizard champion

who saved another champion's life at the cost of losing the Tournament.

It was recorded as the last Triwizard Tournament until today.

It is known to many a wizard that Mamoru Shibuya

has been rumored to have created a spell that

shields one to the Killing Curse. This was never proven,

however, for he never revealed any secrets.

Nor did he keep any notes on the matter.

– Rita Skeeter, _Daily Prophet_

I grimaced at the article. Mamoru Shibuya, huh? If I looked back on my family tree he would probably be there. I believed that for the first time, this Skeeter woman was telling the truth. If a lot of wizards knew of my ancestor then I could only guess that she couldn't make accusations on him without some sort of proof. Also, I hadn't given her an interview, so she wouldn't be able to slander me much. The only thing that really annoyed me was that she put my picture up next to a picture of my ancestor, to show our similarities. We looked a lot alike, only that he looked older and held a straight line scar down his cheek. I found myself wondering where he got it from.

I was walking in the hallway, reading the newspaper when I heard someone calling me, "Yuri!" I turned my head to see the familiar brown curls that bounced as Hermione ran toward me. I stopped and folded the newspaper before waiting for her to catch up.

She had to stop a minute to catch her breath before she could tell me what she was here for. "What's up Hermione?" I asked as I tried to get my bangs out of my face. My hair had been growing longer but I hadn't bothered to cut it. It wasn't like I was playing baseball formally anymore and my mom wasn't here to bug me about it either.

"Where have you been?" she demanded as she placed her hands on her hips and gave me a look that made me flinch. "I haven't seen you in class these past few days and you know what, I think you owe me an explanation of some kind!" I slowly reached for my newspaper and opened it so that it looked like I was busy reading it. If I ignored her enough, maybe she would go away. "Yuri Shibuya, don't you dare ignore me!" She grabbed the top of my newspaper and pulled it down to view my face. "I want an explanation . . . now!"

I sighed and refolded my newspaper. What was I going to say? What could I say? I stood there and thought about it. Would I say anything? No, I couldn't take that risk. Even if it was Hermione, if I did tell her anything she would just be put in danger as well. I bent my knees slightly, and a plan formed in my mind as I decided in a split second what I was going to do. I bolted.

"YURI!" Hermione screamed at me in anger but I only ran even faster. I knew she couldn't catch up with me but to be honest, I was scared that she would. I turned the corner and then pulled myself up some stairs and out of sight. I stopped and bolted into the next empty classroom, closing the door behind me.

I leaned on the door with a sigh of relief, trying to calm myself down. OK, I had gotten away from her but now I felt a bit trapped. There were windows in this classroom, but I had gone upstairs so it was likely that it was on the second floor. Damn it.

I sat very still as I heard footsteps coming from down the hall. I held my breath as the 'tip tap' of shoes walked by the classroom and down the other side of the hall until I couldn't hear it anymore. I breathed a sigh of relief as I slouched against the door. She was gone, but could I avoid her if the time came?

I shrugged and lifted myself from the wall. Whatever happens, the only thing I could do is hope for the best. I sounded really old. I mean, that was happening with this whole tournament thing, right? Or maybe it was the whole wizard thing in general.

I knew I couldn't go into this unprepared but it wasn't like they were giving me any choice! Hermione was hounding me (I could only be thankful that there weren't any book on the Demon Tribe), Murata was my teacher (I still couldn't get over this one), and now I'm participating in a tournament that is very much potentially fatal (I'm screwed aren't I?). Honestly, what was this world coming to?

I sat there and reminisced for about an hour before deciding that I could afford to let it go. It wasn't like I could change anything. I had no power here for one, but there was also the magical contract bit with the Goblet of Fire that was throwing me off. The way I saw it, it was similar to a contract with the elements, it wasn't like you could simply throw it away. This situation was getting more and more complicated than it had to be. I sighed and got up to leave the classroom.

I found myself dreading the first task. I mean, just think about my situation. I've only been a wizard for a few months, I don't have much knowledge of this world, I don't have any insight as to what the first task might be, and I might die from it. I did seriously not like my chances at this point.

I was turning to corner to get into the Great Hall for some lunch when I heard them, "I didn't start this," Harry's voice rang out, "It's his problem."

"You miss him!" Hermione said with impatience edged in her voice. "And I know he misses you –"

"Miss him?" Harry said, although I could tell that his tone was faked, "I don't miss him. . . ."

_Liar, _I thought as I leaned myself against the wall, couldn't they get over their stupid pride and just get on with it? Apparently not.

I would do something about it, but I felt like anything I did would only result in something bad happening. I sighed and waited for them to leave the hallway so I could walk though. I didn't like the idea of avoiding my friends, but what else could I do? Hermione was on my back about my origins. Harry was depressed, and I couldn't do anything about it. And Ron seemed just as sad as Harry, although he tried to hide it. In truth, I was completely stumped as to what I should do. This entire Tournament was making everything go down the drain.

"Also . . ." An also? Oh no, when Hermione did an 'also' that meant that there was probably something else going on. "There's something about Yuri I want to talk to you about," I paled, so it was about me. I leaned over to peak around the corner, only to see Harry's confused look.

"What's wrong with Yuri?" Harry asked with a concern in his voice, "Is he OK?" I smiled. It felt nice to have someone concerned about me, but not over-protective of me.

Hermione shook her head, "I don't know. But I have a suspicion that he's not human." I paused for a second. Well, she was half-right. Harry furrowed his brow, causing Hermione to sigh, "Look, Harry. Remember that Snape incident?" Harry nodded, "Well, that was Yuri." His eyes widened at the realization. Uh-oh.

"But wait –" Harry started, with slight panic in his voice, "Yuri doesn't seem the type to use violence . . . ." He was also half-right. I only ever resorted to it when need be or when I was in Demon-King Mode.

Hermione looked down at her hands, "Harry, I don't know what it is. But those people with him, all these little hints he's given us. I have no idea what it is but something is different with Yuri." This was probably the biggest shock to Harry. Hermione Granger didn't have an idea.

Harry paused for a second before saying, "You think he's a Death Eater?" I really couldn't blame him for suggesting that I was one of Voldemort's followers. I was a suspicious character, now that I thought about it. I scratched me head and looked down at my feet. What should I do?

"No, I don't think so. I just don't think that he is completely human. I was researching something when I came across a book with a small chapter on 'Tribes'. When I read through, there was one that particularly caught my interest." I heard some rustling noises and knew at once that Hermione was taking out a book. "Look, '_A mysterious tribe that no one knows anything about. There is very little known about this tribe but from what we could determine, they mean us no harm. They have the ability to do strong wand-less magic, something no wizard or witch has been able to accomplish. They do not age with our time, but they do age. The only known member of such a tribe is non-other than Shibuya Mamoru.'"_

I swallowed with nervousness. There wasn't that much information there, but it was a little nerve-wracking that they knew so much. "Hermione . . ." Harry said with a coarse voice, "I know this is probably really important, but this is all just too much right now." I could hear the tiredness in Harry's voice. I could only imagine what was going through his mind as he read that.

Hermione seemed to understand completely as she shut the book with a light 'thump'. "Don't worry Harry, whoever, or whatever, Yuri is, I'm sure that he's not evil." I almost laughed at the irony of the Demon King not being evil. Of course I wasn't evil, but just the whole cliché fact that a Demon King was supposed to be evil was way over my head by now.

It was at that point that they decided to leave. Giving me time to walk through the hallway and to what I was doing before. If I could remember what that was.

* * *

Me: And moving oooooooooooon!

Friend: ?

Me: Next chapter will feature an Omake, I finally got my creative juices running.

Friend: That sounded wrong . . . .


	19. Chapter 19

Me: Sorry about the delay, my sister took my Harry Potter book without asking and I ended up finding it in the bathroom. (I mean seriously, who leaves a book in the bathroom?)

Friend: Uh . . . .

Me: Don't answer that.

* * *

I avoided everyone for the next few weeks. Hermione had been getting too suspicious which caused me to lay low for a while. Conrad kept me company, mostly. Gwendal was being his old grumpy self. I was walking around Hogwarts with some pocky in my mouth when I heard someone call my name, "Yuri!" I turned around to see Harry running towards me. I swallowed and waved at him.

"What's up?" I asked, taking out another pocky stick. He seemed pretty out of breath.

"D-dragons!" I heard him say, but I had no idea why he was talking about dragons.

"Yeah, what about them?" I asked; it seemed odd that Harry would randomly bring them up in a conversation.

"That's the First Task! Dragons! I think we have to get past them." I dropped my pocky box. Dragons? Were they serious? Who in their right mind lets children fight dragons for a _tournament?_

"Woah! Woah! Woah! Are you serious, Harry? I mean, c'mon, isn't that a little dangerous?" I bent over to pick up my pocky box. Thank God(?) none of them fell out.

"I saw them myself. All five of them," I grimaced, why me? Why did it have to be some magical creature? And why did magical creatures have to be so attracted to me!

I sighed; there was really no point in questioning my life now. It was too late anyway. "That's . . . interesting . . . ." I scratched the back of my head and sighed again, "Thanks for telling me, Harry. That gives me . . . some relief. Well, at least I know." I froze when I heard a 'clunking' noise. I looked at who turned the corner. Well, wasn't it just a coincidence that _Moody _was here.

"Come with me, Potter," He growled, "Shibuya, off you go." He turned around, expecting Harry to follow. Harry hesitated as he watched me take out a piece of paper and pen. (If these wizards expected me to use quills, then they had another thing coming) I quickly scribbled something down before handing it to Harry. He raised an eyebrow but didn't question it as he slowly turned to follow Moody.

I turned and walked the other way. I was a little worried about leaving Harry with him, but I guess it was out of my hands for now. I let myself wander and to think about the next task. Dragons, huh? Well that was lucky for me, or maybe even unlucky. I didn't know anything about this world's dragons. All I could hope was that they were as friendly as the ones back home. In the meantime, I was going to ask Murata for some help on offensive and defensive spells.

* * *

The next day was probably one of the worst I had experienced at Hogwarts. Of course, no one was really cheering me on, but I didn't mind that. What I really minded was how Harry was picked on more than usual. Eventually I just put my hand on his shoulder, "Don't worry about it," I tried to smile, but I knew that my words of encouragement probably weren't happening.

Pretty soon we were separated and then later taken to a tent with the other Champions. "Harry! Yuri! Good-o!" said Bagman happily, "Come in, come in, make yourself at home!" He said gesturing for us to take a seat. "Well, now that we're all here – time to fill you in! When the audience has assembled, I'm going to be offering you each this bag –" He gestured to a small, purple, silk bag in his hand, "from which you will each select a small model of the thing you're about to face! There are different – er – varieties, you see. And I have to tell you something else too . . . ah, yes . . . your task is to _collect the golden egg!"_

I blinked. Collect an egg? From a _dragon? _That was practically suicide! "Ladies first," said Bagman as he offered the purple bag to Fleur. She put her hand into the bag and drew out a miniature green dragon with a number two around its neck. Next was Krum, who drew a scarlet dragon that had a number three. Cedric drew a blueish-gray dragon with the number one. I watched intensely as Harry drew his own dragon, coming up with a very deadly looking pure black one with the number four on its neck.

It was my turn, I guess. I took a deep breath before reaching in and grabbing the last model. I pulled it out to see a sapphire dragon with a white stripe on its back. Its eyes were also sapphire, but I could see an obvious intelligence in them. Or maybe that was just the model.

"Well, there you are!" continued Bagman, "You have each pulled out the dragon you will face, and the numbers refer to the order in which you are to take on the dragons, do you see?" I looked at the number five wrapped around my dragon's neck. "Now, I'm going to have to leave you in a moment, because I'm commentating. Mr. Diggory, you're first, just go out into the enclosure when you head a whistle, all right?"

I sat there and waited as Cedric was the first to go. Harry seemed to get even more nervous as we were forced to hear the crowd outside and Bagman's annoying voice. I put my hand on his shoulder to get him to calm down. Of course I was nervous myself, but I was probably used to this by now. Considering everything that happened to me in the Demon Kingdom.

Then it was Fleur's turn. I watched as she flipped her hair in nervousness and headed out into the arena. I kept my hand on Harry's shoulder, more to give myself encouragement then him. After the applause it was Krum's turn. His was probably the worst so far, considering his had the loudest of cheers and anxiety. It was at this point that I let go of Harry's shoulder. "Good luck," was all I could say before I gestured for him to head out. He gave me a nervous smile before getting up to move on.

I listened intently to the arena as Harry was faced with the most deadly out of all five dragons. It was over faster than the rest but that didn't stop me from worrying. Was Harry ok? Was everyone ok? Did they make sure to protect the audience? I took a deep breath to calm myself. I had to concentrate. I had to think about what I was going to do.

The most nerve-wracking thing in my life was probably going into that arena.

* * *

Me: MWAHAHAHA! YES I KNOW I'M EVIL!

Friend: Pure evil . . . .


	20. Chapter 20

Me: Teehee, early update. I am feeling generous today.

Friend: She/He's just happy that she/he got her/his homework done early

Me: *Twitch* For the last time . . . I'M A GIRL!

Friend: That will always be a mystery to me.

* * *

The crowd was cheering in the distance as I stepped through that gate. I blinked as the sunlight suddenly got in my eye and tried to focus on the beast in front of me.

The life-size version of my model was nothing like the real thing. I stood there like an idiot as I watched the mother dragon thrash about. She roared and sniffed the air before landing her eyes on me. A crazed, mother-protective look was in her eyes as she seemed to try to determine if I was a threat to her eggs or not. I tilted my head to get a better view of the eggs behind her. They were all neatly stacked and vulnerable in the middle of the arena.

The poor dragon. With all the humans in the audience and its eggs on full display it must have been scared. Scared and angry. I shut my eyes and took a deep breath as the dragon was still analyzing me. She roared, causing my eyes to snap open and for me to step back. She had made her warning clear.

I raised my hands in a give-up motion and took a slow step forward, trying to keep her calm. "It's ok," I said, trying to reason with her, "I'm not here for your children." At the word 'children' she roared again and swiped a claw at me. This was another warning. I knew because she didn't hit me.

I stopped and took another deep breath, "You know, back home I'm friends with a dragon." I smiled at the memory, "His name is Pochi. I've known him since he was just hatched. I'm not lying, you can smell me if you want." The dragon tilted her head in curiosity before leaning her snout over to me. There was a gust of wind, full of bad breath as she breathed in my scent.

I reached my hand forward slowly before I stroked her snout. She growled in the back of her throat but I knew that it wasn't meant to be a warning. I smiled, she reminded me of a cat. "See?" I asked, looking straight into her sapphire eyes. Once again, the look of intelligence was embedded in them.

I stopped my petting and continued to talk to her, "Now listen to me," Her eyes moved a bit, showing she was listening, "One of the eggs in that pile aren't yours. The humans put it there so that they could test me." Her eyes shifted back to the pile before coming back to me. "It's the golden one at the top. If you move it from there then I'm sure you can smell the difference."

The blue dragon stared at me for a minute before leaning her head forward. I took that as a signal to get on and complied. I had to hold on as she walked over to the pile of eggs. She leaned her head toward the pile, giving me access to the top. I carefully leaned over and took the golden egg from the top of the pile. I then slid off and showed it to the mother dragon. She sniffed it once again. Realizing that it wasn't her egg she licked my head. "Not again . . ." I groaned as I tried to wipe off the dragon-slobber.

I started walking away after that, letting the dragon wrap herself around her eggs. I smiled at the scene of a mother protecting her child. It suddenly made me home-sick.

I looked up at the crowd of hundreds of people. There was no applause. No announcements from Bagman. The judges just looked at me as if I was some alien creature, which wouldn't be too far off.

I looked at Conrad and Gwendal. Both of whom looked very unsurprised at what I just did. In fact, I think they were expecting it. I looked over at all the judges until I met eyes with Dumbledore. He raised an eyebrow before standing from his chair. With two or three claps from him the entire stadium started applauding me. I blushed at the sudden attention and hurried over to the tent to drop off the egg.

As I was about to walk in I ran into Harry. From the expression on his face, I could tell that he hadn't seen my 'fight' with the dragon. "Hey you ok? There wasn't any announcements or noises coming from outside so I was starting to wonder if –" He didn't need to finish his sentence. He was wondering if anything had happened to me.

I grinned, "Mother-hen," I said causing him to blush. I looked past his shoulder to see Ron standing behind him. I raised an eyebrow. So they finally made up huh? "I'm fine. But my performance seemed to stun them into silence." I set down my egg by a chair and then stretched. "Let's head out, I want to see my scores!" Ron and Harry exchanged looks and grinned. I led the way as we went to see what the judges thought.

We went outside to the arena as the judged were getting ready to show the score. The first judge, Madame Maxime, raised her wand in the air and shot out ribbon. The ribbon morphed until it fit the number nine. The crowd applauded, giving me chills. The next judge, Mr. Crouch came up, shooting a number ten into the air. The next one was Dumbledore, who also shot up a ten. I blinked. Wow, such good marks. I felt a little guilty, considering I probably wouldn't have survived if I wasn't the Demon King.

Bagman stood up next, shooting up another ten. I raised an eyebrow. This was certainly interesting. It was Karkaroff's turn to judge. I knew he wouldn't give me a ten, but based on the other judge's scores I would assume that he couldn't use such a low number. He raised his wand and shot up the last number – a six.

There was some booing in the crowd as he scored my performance. Honestly, I could care less. I didn't want to be in this tournament in the first place. I shrugged and looked at Harry and Ron who both had their mouths hanging open. It was Ron who spoke up, "You do know that this puts you in first place, right?" I blinked, really?

I watched as Harry and Ron ran off to another red-head. Presumably Ron's brother, since they looked so much alike. I was about to head to the camp when I saw them waving to me. I shrugged and walked over to the group. "Mr. Shibuya," said the older red-head, holding out his hand. I took it. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Ron's brother Charlie. I have to say that I am impressed with what you did with the dragon. You think you can give me some pointers?"

I raised an eyebrow as our hands released, "You deal with dragons?" I asked, what an interesting brother Ron had.

Charlie nodded, "Yup, I work in Romania. Although I have to say, I've never seen someone actually _tame _a dragon like that." I laughed at the word 'tame'.

"No, it was nothing like that! Dragon's are intelligent creatures. I know that some people just think that they attack with no reason, but that's not true. I mean, I simply reasoned with her and tried to convince her that I meant her eggs no harm and she trusted me because I wasn't much of a threat. One, I didn't have my wand out. Two, I had nothing on me that could even scratch the surface of those eggs." I smiled at the last thing that helped her to trust me, "It also helps that I've met a dragon before. A dragon's scent is so foreign to a human that it will stay on a human for about a year. She could smell that there was dragon on me, but not dragon blood."

Charlie nodded in understanding. He was absolutely entranced with my small speech. In all honesty, I looked in Murata's memory for certain information on dragons. But it all seemed reasonable enough, and Charlie seemed to buy it.

"Oh! Yuri, we have to go to the Champion's tent. Mr. Bagman wants a word," said Harry. I nodded and followed him to the tent. We opened it to reveal all the other Champions healing from their endeavor with the dragon. I went on my own as Harry went to talk to Cedric. Fleur and Krum were both looking at me with puzzled looks. It was obvious that they had seen me with the dragon and were a little wary.

"Well done, all of you!" said Ludo Bagman as he walked into the tent, "Now, just a quick few words. You've got a nice long break before the second task, which will take place at half-past nine on the morning of February the twenty-fourth – but we're giving you something to think about in the meantime! If you look down at those golden eggs you're all holding, you will see that they open . . . see the hinges there?" I looked at my own egg to see the hinges. "You need to solve the clue inside the egg – because it will tell you what the second task is, and enable you to prepare for it! All clear? Sure? Well, off you go, then!"

I lifted the egg with one hand and looked at it closely. I just hoped whatever was in the egg wasn't dangerous. "Yuri," I heard the familiar voice behind me and beamed at who it was, "Congratulations," said Conrad with a light smile. I grinned at him and held up the egg.

"I think I like it here." I said with a new-found inspiration in my voice.

* * *

Me: I wouldn't like to fight a dragon . . . .

Friend: Me neither . . . .

Me: I mean, they are WAY too adorable! I would never be able to hurt it! Have you SEEN Pochi in Kyou Kara Maou? I wanted so desperately to huggle him!

Friend: Yeah, yeah, let's just ignore the fact that they can breathe fire and would kill you if you got near it's eggs and assume that all dragons are nice and peachy . . . . WTF IS WRONG WITH YOU?

Me: . . . . . but its a dragon . . . .


	21. Chapter 21

Me: uuug, I gotta do homework

Friend: Good luck!

Me: WHY DID YOU MAKE ME WRITE THIS SO LATE?

Friend: Because I like to see you squirm . . . .

* * *

I went to the Owlery that evening to send a letter to my family. I told them how I was part of a tournament but I kept it at that. I knew that Mom would get worried and that Shori would probably fly over here immediately to see if I was ok. I smiled at the thought of my family. I was excited to go home for Christmas.

". . . I'll tell you one thing though, Harry, if it _was _Karkaroff who put your name in the goblet, he's going to be feeling really stupid now isn't he? Didn't work, did it? You only got a scratch! Come here – I'll do it –" I looked over my shoulder as Ron, Harry and Hermione came up the Owlery. I had just sent out Al, who was now flying in the distance.

Hermione was the first to spot me. "Yuri!" I watched as she ran up to me with a light smile. "Congratulations." I smiled back. It felt good to be congratulated. It was then that her face turned serious, "You have _a lot _of explaining to do by the way." I froze. Damn it, she remembered!

"Uh, now's not really a good time . . . ." She gave me that look saying that she wasn't letting me get away with it. "Look, I'm not allowed to tell you anything." That was a lie. I could tell anyone I wanted. It was a perk of being the actual Demon King, but with a world of magic I didn't know if they would welcome me or skin me alive. "Sorry . . ." I let my head fall and felt my mouth twist down as well. I wished I could tell them, but it wasn't exactly something I could tell anyone.

Ron and Harry looked at each other before Ron went to the window to let his owl fly off. Hermione huffed and turned to supposedly watch Ron let the owl go. Harry came up to me and placed a hand on my shoulder. "Look, mate. Whatever secret you have, you can trust us," He paused for a second, "If you ever feel like making a trade with secrets then just talk to me OK?" I looked up at him and offered a light smile, "Congratulations, by the way."

This made me grin even more, "You too!"

Ron walked up to interrupt our little chat, "Well, we'd better get downstairs for your surprise party, Harry – Fred and George should have nicked enough food from the kitchens by now." He nodded at me, "You should come too, Yuri. I heard about it from Fred and George. If you win the prize money you're going to give it to the Gryffindor Quidditch team?" I nodded, I had promised that and it wasn't like I needed the money. "Brilliant!" He then grabbed me as well and proceeded to drag me to the Common Room.

* * *

I let Harry walk in first so I could walk to the side and watch from afar. He was surrounded by a crowd of Gryffindors and I laughed as he was bombarded with questions and given lots of food. "Blimey, this is heavy," said Lee Jorden as he picked up the golden egg that was Harry's. "Open it, Harry, go on! Let's just see what's inside it!" I sat down on a chair next to Hermione.

"He's supposed to work out the clue on his own," Hermione said with a swift tone, "It's the tournament rules. . . ."

"I was supposed to work out how to get past the dragon on my own too," Harry muttered to Hermione. I knew those words were only meant for her but I couldn't help but smiling. So she did help out with his task.

"Yeah, go on, Harry, open it!" said several people from different directions. Lee passed on the egg to Harry who opened it from the top, only to reveal and empty egg. One thing about it though was screeching noise that came from it.

"Shut it!" yelled Fred over the noise. With that the egg was closed and set aside like there was a monster in it. I rubbed my temples to try and prevent the headache that came after hearing that shriek. There were discussions about what Harry and I might have to face after that. I simply help myself to some food and stayed out of it. They were pretty good theories (except for Percy singing in the shower) but for some reason I felt like they weren't right.

The rest of the party went by pretty fast. There were laughs, especially when Neville was turned into a canary. The Gryffindors were surprisingly nice toward me. I expected bitterness because of the Tournament but it seemed like they had forgotten it. I felt more at home then I had in weeks.

It was getting late fast and I found myself having to go to bed. "Yuri, just stay here, your bed is still here!" said Harry. I wanted too. I missed sleeping in the Gryffindor Dorms. I missed joking around with everyone before we went to bed. But I knew that I would miss it even more if I got a taste of it again.

I shook my head at him, "No, Conrad and Gwendal would be worried about me. Good night." It was true that they would probably worry about me, but from what I could tell those two were convinced that this world was much safer than their world. They wouldn't be too concerned unless I was missing for a long time.

I walked out of the Common Room and started walking back to my own room. Hogwarts was surprisingly much like Convenient Castle. I guessed that most castles were just designed this way. I looked up and glanced at the paintings as I walked by. Most of them were snoring while others were nodding off to sleep. I grinned and turned a corner.

* * *

December was just around the corner, which made me nervous. Apparently there was this thing called the Yule Ball that Champions were required to go to. I groaned at the thought of having to go to _another _Ball. I mean, seriously, I got enough of that in the Demon Kingdom! There was also the fact that my family wanted me home for Christmas. I decided to talk to Professor McGonagall about it, hoping that she would know what to do.

"I'm sorry Mr. Shibuya, but you have to attend." She said briskly after Transfiguration class.

"But Professor! I haven't seen my family in months! They're going to be really worried about me!" I bit my lip, hoping that she would understand.

"I understand your situation, Mr. Shibuya," No, she didn't, "But as a Champion you have to attend to represent the school." I sighed.

"Look, no you don't understand. My family is a bit . . . eccentric. My mother will not waste any time flying over here to get me and my brother is exactly the same and my father will go with whatever my mother does. You see uh, my family has, uh, sort of a complex." She raised an eyebrow, signaling for me to elaborate, "Well, my mother is _very _over-protective over us and tends to jump to the wrong conclusion when something doesn't happen as planned. My brother is also protective of me, but he takes it too far sometimes . . . to a point where I think he has a brother complex. I guess you could call my father normal, but he gives in to my mother's whims way too often." I remembered the time where they flew over to Switzerland just to join us on our 'adventure'. I rubbed my temple in hopes of getting rid of the headache I was currently getting.

If Professor McGonagall wasn't so serious I could have sworn that she would have burst out laughing right there. It wouldn't be the first time that I've had to explain my family to an adult. Many of my baseball coaches needed the explanation at least once because they wanted to hold me after practice.

I shivered as a gust of wind came in through a draft. God, was this place cold. "Mr. Shibuya," I looked up as she started with another one of her 'you need to attend' speeches. "We don't normally allow this but I could talk with Professor Dumbledore about allowing your family to come here for Christmas." I blinked and then thought of what my mom would say about coming to a magic castle. "Of course, this is only a possibility, I cannot guarantee it."

I sniffed and then thought about it. It seemed ok to me, there was just one thing. "Uh, what about the Yule Ball?" She looked at me through her spectacles and I could tell what was coming.

"Of course, you will attend. But the Ball is for students only. I'm afraid your family cannot attend." I breathed out a sigh of relief. My parents were embarrassing people in general, I really didn't want people to see them dancing.

"That's fine with me! Thanks Professor!" I said as I turned and walked out of the chilly classroom. I shivered and started to head back to my room.

"Yuri!" I turned to see Hermione running down the hall with Ron and Harry in tow. I couldn't help but smirk as I realized that they were practically trapped in Hermione's grasp. "Come with us, I've got to show you all something!" I blinked as Hermione pushed me forward and forced me to rush with her to wherever she was taking us. Why couldn't I just say no? Oh yeah, it was Hermione.

We went through twists and turns until Hermione brought us to a painting with a giant fruit bowl. She stuck out her forefinger and tickled the pair, making it giggle and turn into a door handle. I blinked, what was this place?

She pushed Harry in first before letting Ron and I through. There were _a lot _of House-Elves. One in particular, though was rushing through the crowd and beaming up at Harry. "Harry Potter, sir! _Harry Potter!_" Harry looked down at the little House-Elf before gasping.

"D-Dobby?" The little House-elf hugged him around the waist.

"It _is _Dobby, sir, it is!" the little creature squealed, "Dobby had been hoping and hoping to see Harry Potter, sir, and Harry Potter has come to see him, sir!" With that, he let Harry go, allowing Harry to breath.

Dobby was wearing the oddest sort of cloths, that for some reason reminded me of a clown. I grinned at him to which he finally noticed me. "Yuri Shibuya, sir . . . ." he trailed off in an amazed voice. Many other House-elves looked at me with the same sort of amazement. Dobby came up and sniffed me, his great green eyes widening at a revelation.

I just realized why they were acting this way. House-Elves were magical creatures! Of course they would be attracted to me. I smiled nervously and backed away two steps. Ron nudged me in the side, "Are _all _ magical creatures in love with you?" I shrugged, hopefully not.

"Harry Potter, sir!" said Dobby, snapping out of his trance, "Come, sir, come! Dobby wishes to show you Winky!" Dobby grabbed Harry's hand and pulled him through the crowd.

"Winky's here too?" I heard Harry ask. Dobby nodded as he brought us over to the fire. It was nice and warm, which was a nice improvement compared to McGonagall's classroom. There was another House-elf, only female, that was seated on a stool and looking at the fire. She had a butter-beer bottle in her hand and she looked like she had been recently crying. Harry went up to her and leaned forward a bit, "Hello, Winky." Just then, the elf burst into tears. I was a little confused as to why, but I figured it was none of my business.

"Oh dear," Hermione rushed forward and leaned herself in front of Winky as well, "Winky, don't cry, please don't . . ." But Winky cried ever harder. I looked at Ron who glanced back at me.

"Would Harry Potter like a cup of tea?" asked Dobby, loudly in order to get his voice above Winky's cries.

"Er – yeah, okay," said Harry pretty awkwardly. I couldn't stop looking at the poor House-elf who was balling her eyes out. Instantly many House-Elves were right next to us with a silver tray and tea with some biscuits.

"Good service!" Ron said in a really impressed voice. I rolled my eyes before taking a bite of a biscuit. It was really well made.

"How long have you been here, Dobby?" Harry asked as Dobby handed around the tea.

"Only a week, Harry Potter, sir!" He replied happily, "Dobby came to see Professor Dumbledore, sir. You see, sir, it is very difficult for a house-elf who has been dismissed to get a new position, sir, very difficult indeed –" At this, Winky cried harder, "Dobby has travelled the country for two whole years, sir, trying to find work! But Dobby hasn't found work, sir, because Dobby wants paying now!"

Many of the house-elves who had been listening suddenly turned away as if Dobby was an embarrassment. "Good for you, Dobby!"

"Thank you, miss!" said Dobby with a very toothy grin. "But most wizards doesn't want a house-elf who wants paying, miss. 'That's not the point of a house-elf', they says, and they slammed the door in Dobby's face! Dobby likes work, but he wants to wear cloths and he wants to be paid, Harry Potter . . . Dobby likes being free!"

Now the house-elves started edging away from Dobby like he was some sort of disease. I frowned. This wasn't how you were supposed to treat one of your own.

"And then, Harry Potter, Dobby does to visit Winky, and finds out that Winky has been freed too, sir!" said Dobby delightfully. Winky then started to cry on the floor while hitting her fist upon it. I frowned at her tantrum, what was her problem? "And then Dobby had an idea, Harry Potter, sir! 'Why doesn't Dobby and Winky find work together?' Dobby says. 'Where is there enough work for two house-elves?' says Winky. And Dobby thinks, and it comes to him, sir! _Hogwarts!_ So Dobby and Winky came to see Professor Dumbledore, sir and Professor Dumbledore took us on!" Dobby beamed very brightly at this, "And Professor Dumbledore says he will pay Dobby, sir, if Dobby wants paying! And so Dobby is a free elf, sir, and Dobby gets a Galleon a week and one day off a month!"

I winced as Winky's cries grew louder, "That's not very much!" says Hermione though the noise.

"Professor Dumbledore offered Dobby ten Galleons a week and weekends off, but Dobby beat himself down, miss . . . Dobby likes freedom, miss, but he isn't wanting too much, miss, he likes work better." I smiled at the little house-elf. At least he knew what he wanted.

"How much is Professor Dumbledore paying _you_, Winky?" Hermione asked kindly, hoping that it would cheer her up. Unfortunately she was wildly mistaken. Winky stopped crying, but her brown eyes started glaring at Hermione.

"Winky is a disgraced elf, but Winky is not yet getting paid!" she squeaked, "Winky is not sunk so low as that! Winky is properly ashamed of being freed!" So that was it. I sighed as I just realized why she was so depressed. She was a 'proper' house-elf and therefore was not supposed to like being freed. It made me angry, however, at how long she was miserable about it.

"Winky, who is your current master?" The little elf looked at me and sniffed.

"Mr. Crouch, sir." I blinked, so this was his old house-elf? No wonder.

"No, he isn't. Professor Dumbledore is your master now." Hermione gave me a horrified look, "You can't keep crying about the past, saying that you are a 'proper' elf. You aren't even doing your work! Here you are, pathetically sitting around and crying about your situation when you do nothing to change it. Professor Dumbledore took you in and placed his trust in you that you would do your work correctly! Not sit around and get drunk off butter-beer!" Winky's brown eyes met mine in a revelation. I knew that what I said was cruel and I honestly felt bad that I had said it, but she needed to know in a way for her to understand that she needed to continue living.

I sighed and got up from my chair, "Thank you for the tea," I said to the house-elves who all looked at me like I was some god. Damn being the Demon King. "But I have to go." With that I left the kitchen. I really didn't want to deal with house-elves for a while.

* * *

Me: Well, hoped you like the chapter, it might be a while before I update again I have homework projects to take care of.

Friend: Yup, she's not very bright you know.

Me: I resent that.


	22. Chapter 22

Me: Well, here's the Omake you were waiting for

Friend: Mhmmm

Me: Well, enjoy

* * *

*Omake*

"Shibuya. Shibuya! Listen to me!" I stood in the middle of the classroom with my arms crossed. Oh, Murata was so dead after this. I looked over at my four-eyed friend to signify that I was listening. He beamed at me with his evil smile. "Now, why don't you _try_ to act like a _king?_" I twitched. He had made me the goblin king for our reenactment of the goblin wars. I looked down at myself dressed in the horrible outfit that was hand-made by the students. It was basically me, but I had pointed ears, some fake claws and a business suit of all things. I was glad that my real cloths were underneath.

"C'mon Yuri, act more kingly," I glared at Ron.

"Don't worry about it, you look fine! A true goblin," I glared at Hermione.

". . . . I feel for you, mate . . ." I didn't glare at Harry, but I frowned at him.

"Oh, C'mon Shibuya! Try to lighten up!" I looked at Murata and sighed. I wasn't getting out of this was I?

I pulled myself into a 'kingly' pose and sat myself on the handmade 'throne' that the class had thrown together. Oddly enough, it was almost exactly like my throne in the demon kingdom.

I took a deep breath and rested my cheek on my hand. I knew I probably looked ridiculous in this outfit but what was I gonna do? I looked over to my right at the pile of open books that Murata forced the students to literally throw away. Apparently we weren't gonna need them. I let my eyes wander until it reached a picture that popped out on one open book. My eyes widened as I looked it over. It was a picture of the goblin king. As to which my outfit didn't resemble it at all.

I twitched before focusing my glare on Murata once again. "Mu-ra-ta-" I called, getting his attention. The color seemed to drain from his face as I called out to him. At this point I was taking off every piece of the outfit I was wearing very slowly . "What's with this again?" I asked in a calm voice, causing Murata to bolt out of the room. "MURATA GET BACK HERE AND EXPLAIN TO ME WHY I HAD TO LOOK LIKE AN IDIOT!" I ran after him.

*End Omake*

* * *

A ball. A freaking ball. I seriously was going to hate this. It wasn't like I wasn't used to balls. I had just attended way too many for my liking. Most of the people there were okay, but you always got that bunch of people who were rich snobs and were only forming an alliance with our country because of politics. They could barely stand to look at me, much less talk to me.

This was probably not going to be much better. Mainly the Slytherins being the rich snobs. I had nothing against the Slytherins; in fact I was friends with some of them. It was just that most of the Slytherin group was made out of a wealthier group of people who liked to rubbed their wealth in other people's face.

*cough*Malfoy*cough*

When McGonagall had heard that I was 'experienced' with dancing (more like forced by Wolfram to learn it, something about how his fiancé _had _to be able to dance) she had _insisted _that I come by as she taught the Gryffindors how to dance. To my horror, so did Professor Flitwick and Professor Sprout. I wasn't surprised the Snape hadn't asked me. For one, he hated me, for two, I would guess that there were a few Slytherins who knew how to dance and could teach the underclassmen.

So now, I was turning the corner and into a classroom I had never been in before. I opened the door just as McGonagall was talking. "The Yule ball, is first and for most . . . a dance." There was a lot of chatter and rumbling among the students. It was at this time that the professor noticed me. "Ah, Mr. Shibuya. How wonderful for you to join us. Come in, come in." The room was silent as I walked forward to stand right beside her.

"Now, Mr. Shibuya has been kind enough to come and help us with our dance routine. Now, will there be a volunteer from the girls who will assist Mr. Shibuya?" Many of the girls chattered to themselves. "Ms. Weasley, how about you?" McGonagall asked, obviously not expecting one to come forward on their own.

I watched as a little red-haired girl came up with a bright red face. I looked over at Ron, Fred and George who were all glaring at me from underneath their bangs. I sweat-dropped and then turned back to the youngest Weasley. "If you would," said the Professor. I sighed and then bowed slightly before offering a hand to her. She took it, a little shaky, and I straightened up and pulled her in so that I could grab her waist and start dancing.

It was only the waltz, something simple and painless. I concentrated on teaching her how to dance while I danced with her so that it wasn't too awkward. "Keep your back straight," I said, just as my private teacher had taught me. "That's good, now follow my lead," She scowled at me, "I know, I know, but the man always leads." I winced as she stepped on my foot, but didn't say anything. "Look at your partners body movements to know where they are going to step. Great! Now don't look at your feet," I said it loud enough for her brothers to hear. I wanted to let them know that this was strictly business so that I wasn't maimed later.

I stopped when the music stopped and then took a step back and bowed. Ginny, as I found out her name, was a fast learner. I sighed as the crowd applauded. Even the boys had their share of claps. I looked at my wristwatch and winced at the time. I needed to head over to the Ravenclaws and help them with dancing as well.

"I hope that was enough . . . ?" I asked Professor McGonagall, not wanting to leave the job unfinished. I had promised that I would help after all.

"Thank you, Mr. Shibuya that was quite helpful. I believe you have somewhere to be?"

I nodded and headed out the door. "That was so tiring . . . ." I said to myself before heading off to Professor Flitwick.

* * *

I was walking down the hall, thinking about the second task, when it happened. Of course, this was something utterly new to me so I wasn't sure how I would respond. I had stopped briefly by a window to admire the snow coming down from the sky. It was then that a hand had found my shoulder and turned me around to face someone. That someone was namely, Fleur.

I stared at her as she faced me with her, admittedly, pretty face and perfect hair. I blinked twice before she started speaking. "Zir' Yuri," She started in her heavy accent, "Vould you like to go to ze ball wiz me?" I almost smacked myself right there. I had completely forgotten that I needed a date to the ball. I looked Fleur over before deciding what to do. Wolfram would kill me if he ever found out about it. But it wasn't like I could dance with Wolfram. One, he was a guy, and two he wasn't here. Fleur was a few inches shorter than me so I guess it would be fine. At least it wouldn't be awkward dancing with her.

"Uh, sure," I automatically responded with, not really contemplating the consequences afterwards. She smiled in triumph before grabbing something out of her bag, which I had just noticed.

She pulled out a deep blue sash before offering it to me. I gaped at it before having my hand hover over it. "Zis is for you." She said before wrapping it around my neck like a scarf, "Merry Christmas," I froze before she kissed me on both cheeks. I stood there completely stunned before she walked away.

I looked down at my unexpected gift, wondering what I should do with it. There was no doubt that Fleur didn't like me like that. I could tell that I was her last resort, not to mention she thought of me as a little kid. I guess this was her 'I'm sorry' because she felt like she was using me. That was ok, in a way I was using her too.

Tomorrow was Christmas, it was also the ball. I shivered at the thought of Wolfram finding out of Fleur and I's mutual agreement.

* * *

The next day was brilliant. Presents were given all around making me feel warmth that I hadn't felt in a while. Of course, Christmas was done differently in Japan so it was a little awkward not to see any romantic atmosphere. I had done all my shopping beforehand and I had asked the elves to give my gifts to my friends. This did include friends in other Houses besides Gryffindor, to which seemed to shell-shock most people.

I pulled myself around the castle, talking and mingling. I made it back to my room an hour before the ball started. I dressed in my robes and contemplated what to do with my new sash. "How about a kimono?" asked Conrad as he winked at me from the doorway. I blinked and then grinned. It was a brilliant idea!

After the sash was tied around my waist, I had trouble deciding what to do with my hair. It was starting to get really long. Conrad put a hand to his chin as the thought of what to do. "I have an idea." He said before leaving the room. I shrugged and then went over to my end-table. I opened a drawer to take out my deep blue necklace. I held it up to the light so that I could glimpse at the dragon insignia before I pulled it over my head.

"You're right, it is too long." I looked over at Gwendal who was standing there with a pissed look on his face and his arms crossed. "I'll see what I can do," I really hoped that he wouldn't cut my hair; it was keeping my neck warm from the horrible European cold.

I was pushed over to sit on a stood as Gwendal hovered over me. I felt a brush being dragged through, smoothing out all the knots I once had. I winced as it stung my head to no end. I had to shut my eyes as he pulled my hair back and did something that I couldn't recognize. When it was over I dared myself to open my eyes and look in the mirror. I blinked as my hair had been pulled back into a pony-tail. It looked a lot like Gwendal's hair, except it only went down to my shoulders. My hair was now smooth and shiny because of the brushing and the leftover hair framed my face nicely. It wasn't bad.

I looked over to grin at Gwendal only to see that he had left the room. I puffed my cheeks out as Conrad laughed at his older brother's reaction. "You know," said Conrad as he tried to hold back his chuckles, "He was blushing before he left." I could only laugh with him.

* * *

Me: Don't worry, Wolfram's coming in later, so no freaking out.

Friend: Personally, I would find it awkward to dance with the same gender, mostly because of height difference and also who would lead?

Me: Yeah, it just makes it a lot less complicated


	23. Chapter 23

Me: Moving on . . . .

Friend: Yup!

Me: Anyway. The sash is going to be a very important item throughout the story so keep an eye on it.

Friend: Mhmm

* * *

I met up with Fleur about five minutes before the party started. She looked stunning in her silver-gray satin robes, to which I mentioned. She only huffed in response but I could tell that she was happy about the compliment. I offered her my arm, to which she clutched lightly. We walked up from behind Hermione and Krum. I was pretty surprised that they were together but I didn't say anything. Instead, I only smiled and winked at Hermione, who blushed in response. I let them go first to the crowd below, where I could spot Harry and Ron with their dates.

"Ready?" I asked Fleur who seemed to fidget with her hair. Who would have thought that Fleur of all people would be nervous? "Don't worry about it." I said, knowing just how nerve-wracking a ball would be, "You look great." She gave me a nervous smile before putting on her mask. I rolled my eyes at her antics.

As we walked down the stairs to meet everyone there seemed to be whispers from all sides. I could only guess that it was because of Fleur, but the stares weren't helping.

I stopped in front of Harry. I leaned over to look behind him to see Ron hiding from Fleur and I. I raised an eyebrow at him before looking back at Fleur. She seemed to know what was going on, but I didn't want to question it. I then looked at Harry, who seemed to be stopping himself from laughing. "I'll tell you later." He promised before elbowing Ron to come out from behind him.

I shook my head, making my pony-tail swish lightly from side to side. Harry's face twisted into a strange expression before he finally composed himself. I felt Fleur tighten her grip as he did so. I looked back over to her again, only to notice the Slytherins coming up from the dungeons. In front of them was Malfoy, with his black velvet dress robes and a high collar. Attached to him was Pansy Parkinson in a very frilly and pale pink dress. Her collar was also unusually high. I frowned at this.

"Zhat iz 'rong zir Yuri?" I looked over at Fleur who also seemed to catch my frown. I shook my head.

"Nothing, they're just so cliché." I said with a slight yawn. Harry, Ron and Fleur gave me a questioning look. I sighed, "I mean, come _on! _High collars are so out of style now-a-days. It just makes you look like a cliché version of Dracula, only not as scary." Every evil person or bad guy I've encountered had either a high collar or a large unnecessary cape. I've been told that it makes a person look more high-class, but to me they've all just looked stupid.

Ron and Harry were suppressing an urge to laugh while Fleur's mouth was itching up to a smile. Malfoy and the others hadn't heard me, but when I looked at them they seemed to stop. Pansy was bright red in the face for reasons I couldn't determine and Malfoy was openly glaring at me while his two giant body-guards were cracking their knuckles.

It was at that time that we heard Professor McGonagall's voice, "Champions over here, please!" Fleur tugged at my sleeve in the direction where we were supposed to go. I followed up to where the other Champions and their dates were. I looked over at Hermione and winked again. She puffed out her cheeks at my teasing, but didn't say anything. Harry looked over at Hermione and allowed his jaw to drop at how different she looked. I chuckled a bit and then turned my attention to McGonagall.

The Professor directed us to get into a line with our dates. We did and walked into the Great Hall, only to be seated with the other Champions until it was time to dance. The dancing was easy. I was used to it, not to mention I had a lot of practice of the last few days. Fleur was also an excellent dancer so there was nothing to correct. It was around the middle of the dance when I decided to mix things up. I twirled her and lifted her (thank God(?) she was light) until the other students eventually cleared a way for us. This puzzled me. It wasn't like I was hitting anyone, or causing anyone to lose their own rhythm.

Fleur seemed to think it would be a good idea to just keep going, to which I complied. Pretty soon, most of the hall was staring at us. When the dance was over I looked over at Fleur for some advice. She only smiled and lightly curtsied at the crowd while I could only bow. The hall burst into applause, but there was one thing that caught my attention. "FRYD TU OUI DREHG OUI'NA TUEHK?"**(1)** I looked over at the voice that was talking to me in the Demon Language.

The crowd shifted to reveal a very angry looking blond in the middle of the room. He was dressed a white suit with white gloves and a sword strapped to his hip. "Wolfram, lyms tufh!"**(2) **said Conrad coming up from behind him. He was dressed in a similar suit only it was brown.

Wolfram was practically huffing at me from underneath his breath, "OUI LRAYDAN!"**(3)** He yelled before coming up to me. Conrad was trying to stop him, followed by Gwendal, who was also dressed in a similar suit only it was black. I raised my hands in an 'I give up' gesture. I looked over at Malfoy and then to Wolfram. Both of which had very similar faces, only Wolfram had green eyes and Malfoy had blue eyes.

Oh God(?), if I didn't know any better I would have thought they were twins.

"Ruhacdmo! E lyh'd pameaja oui! Tyhlehk fedr y fusyh uv ymm drehkc? Oui fesb!"**(4)** I sighed as Wolfram lectured me, causing Gwendal and Conrad to roll their eyes.

"Tuh'd lymm sa y fesb!"**(5)** I yelled back, just realizing that he called me a wimp. I huffed as he paused mid-lecture only to glare at me. I glared back, challenging him to do something. "Ruhacdmo! Fa yna uhmo vneahtc! Tuh'd kad ouin byhdeac eh y pihlr ujan UHA tyhla!"**(6)** Wolfram growled at my words. He was a lot angrier now. I swallowed as he stomped toward me and grabbed the front of my dress robes.

The next thing that Wolfram did would haunt me for my entire life. His face first got uncomfortable close and I thought he was going to lecture me. That was until; I felt soft lips on mine. My eyes widened at his action. I stood perfectly still. I could faintly hear a LOT of girls squealing. When we parted I looked over at Conrad who only shrugged and then at Gwendal who was blushing slightly. Well that was awkward.

"Fryd-?" **(7)**I started to say before I looked at Wolfram's hurt face. What could I do? "Muug, E's cunno. Pid E haatat y tyda. Ed fyc naxienat uv sa yc y Lrysbeuh."**(8)** He seemed to accept that answer before stomping away. I looked around the crowd awkwardly, only to see stunned looks and a lot of blushing faces. I looked back at Harry and Ron who were struggling not to laugh. I glared at them for laughing at my predicament. "Ur, crid ed oui dfu!"**(9)** I flinched as I accidentally said it in the Demon Language.

I looked over at Fleur and bowed at her in an apology. "I'm sorry you had to witness that." I said, carefully saying my words in English this time. She turned her head to the path that Wolfram took to leave dramatically.

"Vhat a strange 'voman." I snorted at word 'woman'. So she thought that Wolfram was a woman. Well, it was better than the whole school thinking I was gay. I had nothing against people who were gay, but I didn't like how people had qualms about who they dated. If I fell in love with somebody then I wouldn't care if they were a guy or girl.

With some more dancing and an odd dinner, Harry pulled me aside. "I heard you say 'Wolfram'. " I flinched. So he had remembered me telling him about Wolfram.

"Uh, yeah well you see, that _was _Wolfram." I looked down at my hands and blushed as Harry now realized what I was saying. Yes, a man had indeed kissed me in public. I sighed as he raised an eyebrow; "It's a long story . . ." I trailed off, not really knowing what to say. I wasn't even sure if I could tell him without avoiding the story of being the Demon King.

Harry looked around before leaning forward slightly. His emerald eyes were shining slightly as his curiosity got the better of him. "Tell me tonight, all right?" I nodded, I didn't want to lie to him, and he's been a good friend to me so far. "Common room, or your room?" he asked.

I thought about it for a second, "My room, but uh, let's not tell Hermione or Ron." I said, trying to keep my secrets tight-lipped. Harry gave me another questioning look, "It's not like I don't trust them. It's just that Hermione knows a lot of my secrets already, and I don't want to give her too many. She's way too clever for her own good." Harry nodded in understanding, "And uh, Ron would make fun of me to no end if he heard this story! Also I don't think he can lie for his life, especially to Hermione." Harry chuckled at this but nodded all the same.

"I heard you, but you know you'll have to tell them eventually, right?" I nodded back and then just sighed.

"I know, but I want to _avoid _her wrath for as long as possible." I glanced over at Hermione, and Harry just started laughing at me. Jerk.

* * *

**(1)** WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?

**(2)** calm down!

**(3) **YOU CHEATER!

**(4) **Honestly! I can't believe you! Dancing with a woman of all things? You wimp!

**(5) **Don't call me a wimp!

**(6) **Honestly! We are only friends! Don't get your panties in a bunch over ONE dance!

**(7) **What-? **  
**

**(8) **Look, I'm sorry. But I needed a date. It was required of me as a Champion.

**(9)** Oh, shut it you two!

Me: and that's a wrap!

Friend: Mm, delicious scene . . . .

Me: I have to agree . . .


	24. Chapter 24

Me: Weeeeeell, enjoy!

Friend: You've been saying that a lot lately.

Me: Yeah well, you know . . . .

Friend: No reason then?

Me: Nope!

* * *

The rest of the ball went smoothly. There wasn't any other way to describe it. Fleur and I danced a few more times, and I talked and mingled for the rest. I started going to classes again out of sheer boredom. It was nice to go back into the pace of things again. I had already explored most of the castle. I knew that there were probably other secrets in the castle that I would never find or would only find once, so I emphasize the 'most'.

One thing odd about after the ball though, was Ron and Hermione's behavior toward each other. It was like they were angry, but were pretending to be cheerful. I could tell that it was probably for Harry, who, on the other hand, was oblivious of what was going on. I even once caught them, glaring at each other at the breakfast table while Harry wasn't looking. I rolled my eyes at the 'lover's spat'. I really did not want to get in the middle of that.

I seated myself at Gryffindor's table, even though I didn't wear any of the colors I felt uncomfortable sitting everywhere else. I looked over at Hermione and Ron who were still sort of fighting, but at least they were better. I sighed before I watched the owls coming in from the top. I watched as Al landed in front of me and nipped my finger a bit. I gave him some bacon and then took the letter from his leg.

It was a letter from mom; I would have to read it later. I pocketed it, not really in the mood for people to stare at written Japanese like it was Harry. (No offense to him, but I've seen the stares) I sighed and turned back to my breakfast. At least I was now a lot more familiar with the food and could handle it a lot better. I looked at it and ate it slowly. Even if I could _tolerate _the food didn't mean that it was any better.

"Bloody hell," I looked over at Dean who was on my right and reading the newspaper.

"What's up?" I asked, not really sure what was wrong. I looked over at Ron, Harry and Hermione who were in some sort of heated conversation and then turned back to Dean.

Dean looked up at me in surprise. Even after I became a Champion, Dean didn't hold it against me. He was actually one of the Gryffindors who stood up for me when I was getting the cold shoulder. Dean glanced over at the 'Golden Trio' and then looked down at the Daily Prophet. "Take a look at this . . ." He said in a low voice, pointing to a certain article. I squinted and then looked at the article. I quickly read it before feel the heat of magic in my chest. I bit down on my teeth as I glared at the article.

Dean must have noticed my reaction, "Yeah, I know. Makes you angry, doesn't it?" He folded the paper before moving it away from the Trio. "Don't tell them, though. Harry's under enough stress and the other two are on edge with each other as it is," I nodded, it was so plainly obvious, "They'll find out soon enough anyway . . ." I gave him a look but then went down to my breakfast.

As I ate, I formed a plan. That Rita Skeeter was getting out of control. I asked Dean if I could have the Newspaper, to which he agreed to, only after I promised not to tell Harry, Hermione or Ron. I nodded at him in thanks before taking the Newspaper and headed to Dumbledore's office.

I twisted and turned in the corridors until I reached the stone Gargoyle. I grimaced as I realized that I didn't know what the password was. "Chocolate frogs?" I tried, no luck, "Lemon drops," No response, "Blood pops," I said again this time getting really irritated.

I smiled at the statue before glaring at it, "Gravel," It didn't move until I continued, "Which is what you're going to be if you don't let me through."

Immediately it jumped out of the way for my entrance. I smiled and went up the moving stairs. I walked into Dumbledore's office for the second time this year. I look across the room to see him seated behind his desk. I stood in front of him with my arms crossed, waiting for him to notice me.

"What can I do for you, Yuri?" I sighed, trying to calm myself. I wasn't mad at the Headmaster; it wasn't like it was his fault. I just shook my head and ran my fingers through my hair, pulling it back slightly. It had gotten pretty long by now, maybe I should but it?

I slammed the Daily Prophet on Dumbledore's desk. "It's about this," I said in a matter-of-fact voice. Dumbledore's face went grave as he looked at the paper.

"Yes, I've read about it from my own paper," the old man sighed before he rubbed his temples, "As kind of a man that he may be, this will unsettle the student's parents. Or at least, those who are aware with the average Giants behavior." I tried to remember through all the knowledge that Murata had given me what this 'behavior' exactly was.

"You mean that they are violent?" I asked, remembering something like that, "I guess I can understand that. And I won't blame the parents for what happens, but what I am most concerned is about Rita Skeeter." Dumbledore raised an eyebrow, signaling me to go on. "Harry told me that he heard Hagrid talking about . . . his heritage with Madam Maxime at the ball. Now, this secret of his is probably not something he would normally toss around. So I suspect that she . . . ." Dumbledore stroked his beard thoughtfully at the newfound prospect.

"I thank you, Yuri. This gives me a lot to think about it. Do not worry because I will not let Ms. Skeeter get away with this." He sighed before leaning on his elbows, "I rather much dislike politics, to which I am convinced that they will be concerning." It was my turn to raise an eyebrow.

"You know, I'm pretty sure you could ask Murata for help," I watched as Dumbledore's grey eyes twinkled at me, "He's great at politics, and I think he enjoys it. Especially when it involves putting someone down." I winced at the memory of the many times that he put nobles down for anything that they did wrong. I really didn't want to be his enemy.

Dumbledore looked at me for a second before chuckling, "Once again, I must thank you for bringing this to my consideration. I've never had a taste for politics myself, but I suppose they are important when you have an important role to play," He looked at me through his spectacles, making me shiver.

I gripped the side of my arm in nervousness, "How much do you know?" I asked, a bit scared as to what would happen.

But Dumbledore only smiled at me, "Enough, my boy, enough. I believe that Care of Magical Creatures is still going on." I understood the hint. The Gryffindors and Slytherins, together in a class after this whole issue came into the open. I bowed and then hurried off to the grounds. I trudged through snow and made it just in time to see that they were studying unicorns. And that Malfoy was already beginning his morning teasing sessions.

Harry was telling Malfoy off when I stepping in and grabbed the Newspaper. Harry looked at me, a little flushed in the face before glaring back as Malfoy. I looked at Crabbe who was giggling in the back. "I wouldn't be laughing if I had just publicly stated that I was bitten by something that didn't have any teeth." I turned my gaze to Malfoy, "And you, 'scared of him'. What the hell are you playing at?" I glared him down, I had only been this angry a few times and one of them had resulted in me getting taken off the baseball team. "Hagrid is _twice _the man you'll ever be, so don't think that your Pureblood heritage makes you better than everyone else!" I was raising my voice now, to a point where the female students could hear me even though they were about twenty feet away. "Bloody ferret, do you _enjoy _putting people down? Do you _enjoy _hating someone because they can't help but be who they are? So what if Hagrid is half-giant? That doesn't make him vicious, or brutal. It only makes him who he is, now you WILL have hell to pay if you do not march right up to his hut and PUBLICLY apologize just as you have publicly humiliated him!"

Malfoy started sputtering indignities about how his father would hear about this and how that as a 'mudblood' I had no right to order him around. I threw the paper at it so that he would catch it and I would have his attention. "Your father? You do realize that your father's human right?" I asked calmly before leaning forward so that only the Golden Trio and Malfoy could hear me. My anger took over me before I could stop myself, "Well I'm not. I wonder how your father would do against a Demon?" Malfoy looked at me and then blinked in confusion.

I widened my eyes and stiffened at what I said. Oh no, I slipped. I tried to stay calm as I bit my lip and started to walk away. I could only hope that he would take it as an expression to my fighting or political skills and not as the most obvious hint I have ever dropped.

* * *

Me: *Grin* I'm really glad I got this done. Thanksgiving left me with barely enough time to write this.

Friend: Uuh, so . . . full . . .

Me: Pig.


	25. Chapter 25

Me: Ug, done . . . . .

Friend: Not yet.

Me: Oh yeah, uh, someone asked what the article was about but I'll I'm going to tell you is to look on page 437 of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. It's just way too long for me to copy down so . . . yeah.

Friend: And?

Me: Oh yeah, I'm also aware that the 'dancing with McGonagall' scene didn't happen in the book, but I LOVED it from the movie. And I thought it would be a good opportunity to show off Yuri's good dancing skills. Had to use a Weasley though, to keep it similar.

Friend: I like Ginny.

Me: So do I.

* * *

I walked around nervously in my quarters. You would think that I would be nervous about the 'hint' I had dropped, but that wasn't it. Dumbledore had explained to me that because the Yule Ball was at Christmas time, that my family would have to do with New Years. Not that it mattered much to me because New Years was more important to our culture then Christmas was.

I clutched the letter in my hand that my mother had sent me. They were arriving _today. _I rubbed my eyes as I tried to think of how I was going to explain them to everyone. That brought me to the 'hint' problem. Hermione had been practically stalking me the last few days and I had to use some spells to get away at times. This made her irritated and drove her to capture me even more. I shivered as to what would happen if she did.

It didn't feel right, avoiding my friends. Harry looked hurt whenever I strode past him so that he couldn't catch me. Ron always raised an eyebrow and gave me a look that said 'you better stop doing that soon', while Hermione was practically frantic about what I was doing.

I bit my lip and waited for something to happen. I didn't know when they were arriving, just that they were arriving today. " You know, you're going to create a dent in the floor if you continue pacing like that." I looked up at Conrad who had a slight smile on his face. I smiled back.

"Sorry, I'm just . . . nervous." He nodded in understanding as he shifted his weight. He wasn't allowed to carry his sword around so I noticed that he seemed to be going off balance. "You ok?" I asked.

Conrad smiled and walked over to rub my head fondly, causing my hair to go everywhere. "I am, but Wolfram's not." I sighed. Yet, another problem to deal with.

Wolfram had been so angry that he immediately went home. I had searched the castle for days to find him, but stopped when I say the article. I was glad that Dumbledore was going to sue Rita Skeeter for that. It wasn't really the article that made me mad, it was Malfoy.

Draco Malfoy made me irritated because he said those things about Hagrid. He also made me irritated because I couldn't hit him for it. He just looked too much like Wolfram. The only major difference was the eyes. While Wolfram's eyes were an emerald, (not unlike Harry's) Malfoy's was some sort of silver. If I did try to hit him, I would end up slapping him just as I did Wolfram. He is a pretty boy and I don't like to hit girls, even if he only looks like one.

I sighed and sat on the edge of my bed. "How was I supposed to know that he would show up?" I asked, much too defeated to come up with anything else. "I just . . . I'm sorry that I did what I did, but this relationship with him is becoming so _complicated! _I _wish _we could be friends but Wolfram seems to want to jump into an intimate relationship. That's not something I can do so easily! I mean, I barely knew him when we became engaged, how can he expect me to love him immediately after that? Especially because we engaged right after he insulted my mother and with all the things we've been through I don't think we would be ready to start dating. I know he means well but . . . ." I really didn't have much else to say. That was my deep, dark secret.

Conrad sat next to me and stretched a bit, "So what you're saying is that you would be willing to try, if the relationship wasn't so forced between you two? That you would be willing to start out with friends?" I nodded, that was exactly what I was trying to say.

Conrad patted my head, "Why don't you get some rest? I'll wake you when your family arrives." I smiled and then looked up at my Godfather.

"You mean the rest of my family? Some of my family is already here." Conrad blinked before a light shade of pink swept across his face. He coughed, but composed himself easily.

"Of course, Yuri." He got up and glanced at the Golden Egg in the corner of the room. Truth be told, I could not figure out what the screeching noise inside of it meant. "You know, I over-heard that Cedric boy talking with Harry about the egg. He told Harry to take a bath with it, any ideas?" I frowned and rubbed my chin. There was nothing that I could think of. "Well, perhaps it could help." He winked at me before leaving the room. I sighed and lay back on my bed. I shuffled myself under the blankets and closed my eyes, determined to get some sleep.

* * *

It was a great dream. I was lying in bed with my eyes closed, but I could smell my mom's curry. There was a faint ticking noise that I assumed was from my clock. I took a deep sigh as the warmth of home surrounded me in my dream. "Yu-chan," called my mother's kind voice, "It's time to get up now." I scrunched my nose in mock-annoyance and turned around.

"Five more minutes, Mom." I said, inwardly glad that she took the time to wake me up.

"That's Mama, Yu-chan." She said in a stern but loving manner. I smiled and stretched a bit under the covers so that I could wake up nicely. "The curry's almost done, so get up before yours gets cold." I rubbed the tiredness out of my eyes and looked up at the smiling face of my mother in her cliché housewife dress and apron. Her brown eyes were twinkling at me before she leaned over and hugged me. "I missed you so much, Yu-chan!" She exclaimed, letting tears run freely down her cheeks.

I hugged her back, letting her baby me. I didn't know why I did this time, considering I never did before. I looked around the room over my mother's shoulder. Wait a minute.

I blinked away my tiredness and scanned the room once more. This wasn't home, where was I? It took a minute before all the memories washed back. "You're here!" I said excitingly, causing my mom to lean back to look at me. I blushed as I saw the look she gave me. "S-sorry! It's just that . . . I was kind of nervous about you showing up . . . ." I said correcting myself. My mother's smile brightened as she hugged me tighter, practically squeezing me to death. "Uh, Mom! Can't . . . breathe!" I huffed out, causing her to let go in a flash.

"That's Mama, Yu-chan! Now, get out of bed before your curry gets cold!" I grinned and complied with her demands, sliding out of bed so that I could get dressed. She left the room to give me some privacy. I wore my 'Muggle' cloths, since they were more comfortable. They consisted of a black sweater, dark jeans that were ripped at the knees and red slippers. I stretched once again and then looked at my hair. I was surprised that my mom didn't say anything about it, it was so long now. Then again, with Gwendal having even longer hair I doubt that she would say much.

I shrugged and decided to put it in a pony. I took the hair tie that Gwendal gave me from the Yule Ball and tied my hair. It wasn't as high as Gwendal had put it before. In fact; the tail was resting on my shoulder loosely. It was more comfortable this way anyway. When I was satisfied with my new look I smiled and headed out to greet my family.

My quarters consisted of a simply bedroom with a living room right outside it. There was also a small kitchen attached to the living room but I rarely used it. When I walked out, I saw my father having tea with Conrad, while Shori was playing chess with Gwendal. My father looked like he just came from work. He was wearing a white dress shirt with black dress pants. He was missing his jacket and tie and his sleeves were rolled up to his elbows. He looked at me and grinned before taking another sip of his tea.

Shori was also dressed nicely. He was wearing a light blue dress shirt but his sleeves were all the way to his wrists. He had gotten new glasses; smaller ones that were rectangular. His hair was also brushed through, but not slicked back, to my relief. He was also wearing black dress pants, except his were a shade lighter then my dads'. He was so concentrated on the game that he didn't notice me.

Movement caught my eye and I looked over to Conrad who was smiling at me. He was wearing a more causal outfit with his brown sweater and jeans. He winked before setting his tea down and picking up a book. I looked over at Gwendal who looked regal in anything. This outfit was no exception. He was wearing a grey button-up shirt with a pocket on the left of it. His jeans looked brand new; there wasn't a single rip in them, making him look overly neat.

I looked over to the kitchen and followed the smell of curry. My mom was there stirring the curry as if she had lived here for years. She turned and smiled at me before greeting me. "Good Afternoon sleepy-head." She said before taking out seven dishes. I frowned at the number.

"Uh, mom? Aren't there only six of us?" I asked counting in my head; mom, me, Gwendal, Shori, dad, Conrad. She smiled at me and then went back to her stirring.

"Ken-chan is going to join us soon," I nodded, that made _much _more sense. "But I can't believe it, Yuri." I winced as she used my full name. That normally meant that she was going to go on a rant. "You are learning _magic _at a _magic _school, not that I object, but there can be things that we don't know about that are _dangerous!_ When were you going to tell me that you are part of this Tournament? You were fighting a _dragon? _Just _what _do you lean from that? What are the teachers thinking? Letting children compete in such a dangerous event? Well, I am _not _going to let this slide one bit! I can't bear to see my baby in danger!"

I winced at her rant. True, I had been wondering the same thing. Who let people who were barely adults fight against a dragon? Granted we didn't have to defeat it but still. Did wizards and witches think that they were invincible? "Look, mo-" I stopped at the glare she gave me, "Mama; I understand why you're so concerned. Do you think that I didn't ask the same questions? But I can't get out of it. Dumbledore said that anyone who enters in the tournament will have a magical contract, one that can't be broken or else there'll be consequences to the one to broke it. I have to compete, and don't look at me like that you should know better than anyone that I'll be alright!"

She gave me a sad look before practically bursting into tears. She wrapped her arms around me as she poured her heart out. "I know, I know, but _Yu-chan _I had _felt _that something bad would happen. I should have stopped you from going. I should have –" she cut off into silent sobs. I sighed, she blamed herself, I didn't want to see her like this.

"Don't worry, Mama. I'll be alright. You know I will." She sniffed and then nodded before turning back to her curry. I watched as she silently dished out the different servings, trying to get a smile back to her face. I'm sorry, Mama.

* * *

Me: I did bring the family in, I didn't forget. If you remember, Dumbledore said that they couldn't be here for the Yule Ball because he wasn't sure if the stuck-up Purebloods wouldn't do something. I just forgot that the Yule Ball was around Christmas time, but that wasn't a problem, seeing as how in Japan, Christmas is more of a lovers thing then a family thing. Hence why I also brought in Wolfram.

Friend: Also, Greta.

Me: Oh yeah. I have been getting a lot of questions about if Greta would come to the HP world and I have been thinking about it but I doubt it. You see, she NEVER goes to Yuri's world during the anime and I'm trying to be as Canon with this as I can. There's also the fact that I don't think her body would be able to withstand the transfer. She's like what, thirteen? Not even. Still a kid in my opinion. Also she's completely human, she's not as strong as a demon or half-demon. I know they make it a comedy thing with the anime whenever they transport, but think about it. They are transporting to a different world. It takes a lot of strain on Yuri's powers and I can imagine that it takes a toll on the body as well. So, I will think about bringing Greta in, but if the HP cast ever meet her it will most likely them going to the Demon Kingdom instead.


	26. Chapter 26

Me: Teehee, new chappie

Friend: I wonder where you find the time to write all this.

Me: No sleep.

Friend: I should've known.

* * *

Hagrid didn't show up to teach all week. I spent my time avoiding the Golden Trio as much as I could. I even had all my meals in the chamber. Mom wanted to explore the castle, but I told her that it might be dangerous and that I would see if I could get a teacher to escort her around. For the first time in eleven years I had called her Mama, which seemed to boost her opinion of the school. Truth be told, I only did it to calm her down. I don't know what it was but it seemed like this whole situation had gotten her on an emotional high. Either that or she was on her period.

Right now I was walking to the kitchens. My pocky had run out, to my dismay, and I was going to see if the House Elves could make them. I imagined all the different flavors they could make and drooled slightly. Normally pocky was just a snack I had once in a while, but when you've had nothing to eat all day then you would drool over any food.

I was just turning the corner when I bumped into someone, causing me to fall on my butt. I winced and got up slowly, rubbing my lower back. I must've hit my tailbone. "Yuri!" I looked down at the person who I bumped into, only to see that it was Hermione. So much for avoiding her. She looked at me for a second before getting up herself.

I backed away two steps before bolting the other direction. "Yuri Shibuya, don't you _dare _think that you'll get away from me again!" I groaned at the same time of my stomach. I really shouldn't have started running on an empty stomach, but what could I do? I winced as cramps started forming. Ow, ow, ow, ow!

Footsteps started coming up behind me and I could tell that she was gaining quickly. I looked up ahead so that I could see where I was going, only to see two other people standing in the hallway. I paled when I realized that it was Ron and Harry. They seemed to be ready for me. Without thinking, I turned around and ran back towards Hermione, who had her wand out.

I ignored it and ducked under the stunning spell she tried to hit me with. "Ok, ok," I whispered to myself as I imagined a baseball field. At the last second I twisted my body and let myself slide until I went under Hermione's legs and through to the other side. Yes!

I jumped back on my feet and continued running the other way with the Golden Trio right behind me. I looked over to my right to see a red light on the wall. Without thinking, I jumped, causing another stunner to go right past me. Jeez, they were serious. I turned around and started running backwards just to taunt them; after all I was faster than them. That was until I felt a sting on my back.

I yelped and fell forward as I realized that I had been hit with a stunner. I groaned and held my stomach in pain. I _really _should have eaten before I started doing something like that. I watched as feet approached me before allowing myself to fade into darkness.

* * *

Me: The end!

Friend: *Smack* Keep writing!

* * *

I woke up in a sitting position, which is really uncomfortable by the way. I tried to lift my hand to rub my eyes but couldn't move it. I looked down to see that it was tied to the chair I was on. I stared at it for a second, wondering why I was here. I looked around the empty classroom, only to get a light smack on my head. "Ow!" I said before looking at who hit me. I turned my head to see a very angry Hermione.

"That was for running!" She hit me again, only with a book, "And that if for not telling us anything!" I groaned and then looked over at Harry and Ron who had just walked in.

"All clear, 'Mione," said Ron as he put a silencing charm and a locking charm up. Oh no.

Hermione nodded and then turned to me with a determined look on her face. "Whatever you want to know, I'm not telling." I said with a grin, but then I saw Hermione's glare and seriously doubted my words. "L-look, I would tell you if I could, but I can't! I'm not allowed to!" The scariest smile I had ever seen appeared on Hermione's lips.

Hermione leaned over so that she was face-to face with me. "Normally I would be all for the rules, but there's one thing that I can't stand more than breaking the rules." I swallowed in an attempt to water my dry throat.

"A-and what's that?" I asked, a little scared of what she may say.

Her scary smile was still on her face. "When people try to come in between me and learning something new." Uh-oh. Hermione raised her wand and said words that I didn't understand. A spell I haven't heard probably.

At first nothing happened. That was until I got this weird tingly feeling in my sides. I wriggled, trying to itch it away but I couldn't move. It then spread to my armpits, causing me to laugh at the feeling. Pretty soon it was all over my body and I was twitching with uncontrollable laughter. "P-please! S-stop!" I said, only to feel it increase. I moved so suddenly that my chair fell on its back. "OK! OK! I'LL TELL! I'LL TELL YOU EVERYTHING!" I screamed as tears appeared at the edges of my eyes.

It stopped so suddenly that it took me a few seconds before I stopped laughing. I breathed in and out, trying to get myself under control. A tickling hex is indeed scary. I felt strong hands lift the chair up so that I was in the proper sitting position again. I looked over at Harry who gave me a sympathetic look. Hermione was scary when she was angry.

I sighed and then realized what I had gotten myself into. I wasn't getting out of this, or at least not anytime soon. "Can you untie me?" I asked, hoping that they would at least do that. Harry was the one who let me out with a spell with Hermione glaring at him.

"Oh, come on. He said he'd tell us, didn't he?" was what ended the conversation, courtesy of Ron.

I sighed and rubbed my sore wrists, "So, what do you want to know?" I asked, hoping that I didn't have to tell them too much. Hermione looked thoughtful for a second, while Ron and Harry only glanced at each other.

"Are you a Demon?" I grimaced; at least she was straight to the point.

"Yes." I replied simply.

Hermione's eyes widened but she didn't have a disgusted look on her face, "What is your relationship with your 'Professors'." I chocked, she was a lot more perceptive then I gave her credit for.

"Uh, Conrad is my Godfather." I said, trying to think of how to describe Gwendal, "and uh, Gwendal is a friend of the family? I guess. It's kind of hard to explain."

Hermione seemed to accept that and then continued on with her questions, "What sort of magic do you learn at your school?" Her eyes glinted in curiosity.

I sighed, how was I to explain that one? "Uh, well, wandless magic mostly, but we learn other things like sword fighting, history and math. And uh . . . ." I thought about how I was going to explain it. "Well, you see the term 'Demon' is for people who have either a strong magical core or a really weak one. Those who have a strong one cannot use wands because they may not be able to hold the magical power they send out and break. Those with a weak one may be able to see Hogwarts castle, for example, but won't be able to cast a spell no matter how hard they try." It was true. Demons with reborn souls had strong magical powers while Demons without reborn souls didn't.

Hermione's eyes glinted again, "Why are they called Demons, then?" I sighed as I rubbed my tired eyes.

"Think about it. If you have a weak magical core, then you're considered a Demon among muggles because you can't hide your magic. But if you have a strong one, you're considered a Demon among wizards because you are way too powerful." Ok, this was a lie, but how else was I going to explain it? I could tell her that the Demon Tribe was everywhere!

Hermione looked at me with sad eyes. Her hand was over her mouth as she took in my words. I didn't want to make her feel bad, but what else could I do? I didn't want her to bug me with these questions anymore then I had to. "O-oh, I see." Ron looked like he was about to ask something before Hermione grabbed his arm. "W-well, we'd better be going. Don't want to be late for class." And with that they scrambled out the door. I looked over at Harry who was just staring out the window like nothing happened.

I got up and stretched, trying to get back in shape from my torture. "Is it true?" I looked over at Harry who was now looking at me. My black eyes locked with his emerald, causing me to shiver. "Is what you said true?" he asked again. I didn't want to lie to him. I wanted to tell him everything. To get it off my chest, but I bit my tongue and nodded. He sighed and then let himself out of the classroom, shutting the door behind him. I stood there for a whole five minutes like an idiot before heading off to the library. I really wanted to be alone right now.

* * *

Me: THE END!

Friend: For the chapter!

Me: Well, yeah, but . . . .

Friend: Keep writing~!

Me: *groan*


	27. Chapter 27

Me: I apologize for the . . . slight delay . . . .

Friend: SLIGHT DELAY? YOU HAVEN'T WROTE ANYTHING FOR A WEEK!

Me: Well, yeah but . . . c'mon . . . I've been depressed lately . . . .

Friend: About what?

Me: I'll tell you later.

* * *

I gripped the Daily Prophet in my hand and watched as it wrinkled itself. I could feel my Demon King magic bubbling up in me as anger filled me up. This. Was. Unacceptable.

A Demon's Magic

Hogwarts, a brilliant school for learning magic. It has held our families and protected them for generations and is a proud school of the wizarding world, _writes Rita Skeeter, Special Correspondent. _However, there is another, a much unknown school, which has intruded itself among our glorious, sacred ground. The name of this school is unknown, although they are competing in the Triwizard Tournament. Yuri Shibuya, the descendant of Mamoru Shibuya, is the Champion for such a school.

Now you might be wondering, what is this school? How come I've never heard of it? Is it a threat to my children? My dear readers, the answer to this is unknown. This school's secrets are tightly locked to the world, and thus whether it may or may not pose a danger is an answer not even Albus Dumbledore can provide.

What we do know is that it is a school for what is known as 'Demons'. Demon, is a term used for a witch or wizard who either has very little magical power or very strong magical power. What is seen as a result of this is that the power is unstable and thus the school was created to help these troubled kids. With their magic being unstable, it seeps into their very bloodstream, ensuring that they wouldn't age as fast as normal people, granting them a longer lifespan.

It may surprise you to know that Yuri Shibuya himself is not fifteen as the school had wanted you to believe, but that he is in fact seventeen, but ages slower than the rest of us. As you know, I rarely put opinion in my articles but I believe that it is our duty and right to know about this school. I hope that you can all agree that you would feel unsafe with someone who is commonly known as a Demon.

I really wanted to kill that woman. She exposed it to the _entire _wizarding world. I smashed the paper into a ball of paper and threw it across the room. I rubbed my temples. It was a small article, barely 300 words, but it hit hard. I had only told Ron, Harry and Hermione of my secret, or at least part of my secret, but it seemed like it got out of hand. I sighed, and changed into my normal cloths again. It was around ten'o'clock at night and I probably shouldn't be going out after curfew but I needed a walk. Yeah, a walk could do me good.

I pulled on the cloak that Yosak had gotten me and looked around the room for the one thing I really needed. My Pocket Office. I had put my egg and mini-dragon in there so that no one could steal it. That was the nice thing about it, it was only a small pouch that felt empty, who would want to take that? I sighed again and sneaked out the door, which wasn't too hard to do. Everyone was sound asleep, except for Conrad, who only winked at me from the couch as he watched me go. I grinned at him and pulled my hood up before I left.

I walked around the castle aimlessly. I really didn't know what to do. I guess I could always work on the egg's puzzle but I wasn't really in the mood. I soon came to a statue with an odd wizard who looked like he lost something. I looked at the golden label to see that it was Boris the Bewildered. Odd name. I started walking over to my right before I heard a little whisper. 'Pine fresh,' I looked around, not seeing anyone but the door, about ten feet ahead of me opened up before closing quickly. I raised an eyebrow. Who would be out at this time of night?

I walked up to the closed door and tapped it a few times. There was something in there. I thought about it for a minute before saying, "Pine fresh," The door started opening again, allowing me time to get in and close it behind me. I stepped forward only to see a wand pointed at me. My eyes widened, it was Harry.

I thought about it for a minute. Should I let him know it was me or not? My hood was covering most of my face so I could tell that it was hiding who I was. "Who are you?" He asked, looking slightly ridiculous in his pajamas.

I let my hood fall to reveal myself. I grinned at Harry and waved, "Do you know how creepy it is hearing a voice but not seeing who said anything?" Harry gave me a look of confusion before grinning himself.

"Should've known . . . ." He muttered under his breath. I took off my cloak and sat down on the edge of the pool that was filling up with hot water.

"Ah, but you didn't know. That just makes me stealthier then you, and I don't even have an invisibility cloak." Harry set down his cloak too and started to undress for the bath.

He suddenly stopped midday from taking his shirt off before looking at me, "How did you know what it was?" I shrugged and grinned again; Harry paused before rolling his eyes, "Right, Hermione."

I sighed as the hot water started covering my bare feet, maybe I should take a bath too. "You know, not that I'm against it, but why are you taking a bath so late?" I splashed the water a bit with my toes and took out my ponytail, letting my hair hang loose.

Harry gave me a look before putting a towel around his waist. "The egg, Cedric gave me a clue on how to solve it." I thought back to what Conrad told me and shrugged. I got up and stretched, I really shouldn't be disturbing Harry while he was doing this. I was about to leave when something wispy caught my eye.

"Uh, Harry?" I asked staring at the ghost, "We're not alone." Harry, who had been adjusting his towel looked up and nearly fell over. I giggled at his situation before the ghost girl glared at me. Touchy.

Harry blinked a few times before exclaiming, "Myrtle!" So he knew her. Oh no. "What are you doing here?" I looked at her a little more closely. She was a girl, about our age when she died, with big round glasses and pig-tails. I grimaced as she started speaking.

"Well, I didn't expect both of you to be here, that's for sure. This is exactly like the time when Cedric came around." I watched her for awhile before turning to Harry. He gave me this 'help me' look but I only shook my head. "By the way, you might want to try putting that egg _in _the water." I looked back at Myrtle before taking off my own shirt.

"What are you doing?" I heard Harry ask me in an astounded voice. I threw my shirt over by my cloak and shrugged.

"It's not like she hasn't seen you already. Besides, we could both work out the clue from the egg while we're at it. Anything besides listening to the shrieking sound." Harry looked at me before sighing. I started taking my pants off.

"Fine, but Myrtle; close your eyes, will you? I'm getting in the water." said Harry before making a splashing sound as he threw himself in. I took off my underwear and went over to the bath-pool. I dipped one foot into the water and slowly sunk myself into its warm depths. This was so relaxing. It was taking my mind off the newspaper. I sighed and let the water soak away the stress from my muscles. It had been a while since I've had such a nice, long, bath.

"So what's next?" I asked, massaging my shoulder before stretching it out a bit.

Harry shrugged as he took the egg, "I guess we just go for it." I sighed and let my head fall under the water as Harry lowered the egg under it and opened it.

"_Come and seek us where our voices sound,_

_We cannot sing above the ground,_

_And while you're searching, ponder this:_

_We've taken what you'll sorely miss,_

_An hour long you'll have to look,_

_And recover what we took,_

_But past an hour – the prospect's black,_

_Too last, it's gone, it won't come back."_

I let myself resurface after the song was over. Oh. Hell. No. Harry popped his head up too right after I pondered through the song. He looked at me before asking, "W-what's wrong?" Murata's memories flowed through me as I figured out easily what it was we were supposed to do.

"Harry, you do realize that there are only a few things that can't speak well when they're out of water, right?" Harry gave me a look that made him slowly realize something. "Yeah, my guess, it's merpeople. But if I'm right, then the only close-by mer-residence is in the lake . . . meaning . . . ."

Harry's face paled at my revelation, "That means that we'll have to swim to the bottom, won't it?" I nodded as I leaned back my head on the edge of the pool. "How are we supposed to breathe?" I bit my lip. I would be fine. My Demon Magic would protect me, but Harry . . . . We would have to think of something.

"Oh, smart one, aren't you?" I looked over at Myrtle who was hovering above us. "Although, could you _please _not talk about breathing in front of me? It's _tactless!_" I nodded as the sides of her eyes started to tear up.

I looked over at Harry who seemed to be giving me the same look, "So what do we do?" He asked, for once, I had no idea.

* * *

Friend: You're . . . moving?

Me: Yeah . . . .

Friend: Wait, where?

Me: Dunno yet, but my mom lost her job so we have to move to another state because of the economy so that she can work.

Friend: Wow . . . .

Me: Yeah, so I've been too depressed to write lately, I've been spending most of my time trying to hang out with my friends with the little time that I have. Hope you guys won't blame me much.


	28. Chapter 28

I laid there on my bed, trying to get some sleep, but the ordeal was running through my head at a hundred miles per hour. I stared at the candle on my bedside table, replaying the words to the song in my head. I was so deep in thought that I didn't even notice my door open. "Yuu-chan?" I looked over at the voice to see the soft face of my mother.

I sighed and sat up to watch as she came over with a plate of cookies and a cup of warm milk. I smiled at the gesture. When I couldn't sleep as a kid my mom would always bring me warm milk and a cookie to help me fall asleep. It worked every time, but she stopped doing it around the time I was ten. I think it was because by that time I kept telling everyone that I was a grown-up and that I didn't need to be treated like a baby anymore.

I smiled awkwardly at my mom as she placed the milk and cookies next to the candle. She sat down at the end of my bed and reached over to stroke my hair a little bit. For a second, I felt like I was seven years old again. I felt like the world was so big and that it was just as amazing as my mom would describe it.

But I knew that it wasn't the truth.

I knew that the world was bad, and I knew that a lot of bad stuff happened and at the same time I knew that it was a wonderful world. But that wasn't why I was considered naïve. I blinked and looked up at my mom who was still stroking my hair. No, I was considered 'naïve' because I believed, and still believe that I can make the world a better place. Whether it is the Demon Kingdom, Japan or even the Wizarding World, I had to at least try.

"Thanks mom," I said with a sigh before giving her a hug, "I really needed that." My mom hugged me back and patted me on the head.

"Anytime, oh and Yuu-chan?"

"Yeah?"

"It's 'Mama'."

* * *

Time passed by quickly with me going to classes more than usual. I needed something to take my mind off the second task. I knew that Harry and his friends would come up with something but for some reason this task worried me. The words _'we've taken what you'll sorely miss,' _kept running through my head. I couldn't help but wonder what that was.

Before I could even blink the second task was here. I walked over from the castle to the lake where I could see a whole crowd of people waiting. Just great. I looked at Fleur, Krum and Cedric and how they all looked well groomed. I pulled at my own hair a little, realizing how messy it was from how I had rushed this morning. The long strands were blowing in the cold wind, making me even more annoyed. This task was really getting on my nerves.

I looked around some more, looking for Harry. I smiled a bit as I realized I wasn't the only one who was in a rush to get here. Harry's hair was even messier then usual and his cloths looked out of place. I watched as Bagman whispered something to him and then waited for the task to start. I wanted to get this over with.

Bagman put his wand to his throat and said, "_Sonorus!"_ making his voice boom among the crowd. "Well, all our champions are ready for the second task, which will start on my whistle. They have precisely an hour to recover what had been taken from them. On the count of three, then. One . . . two . . . three!"

The whistle echoed throughout the area, causing my body to spring into action. I pulled off my shirt and my socks and shoes. I took a deep breath before diving into the icy water. I didn't look back as I willed the water to surround me and provide me air. The water had been cold, but I was able to block it out somehow. "_We've taken what you'll sorely miss." _I bit my lip and let the large bubble move me forward. Those words were poking at me through my skin. I had a bad feeling about this.

I looked around at the murky seaweed surrounding me. There were probably other creatures in here besides the merpeople and the giant squid, but I was safe from them as long as I could hold up my Demon Magic. I knew that my magic wasn't as fast as the others but I would get there in time.

The trip was horrendous. The Lake was so eerie that I wished that my name never ended up in the goblet. When my bubble pulled through the seaweed I saw giant underwater buildings that looked like stone blocks. I looked over at the merpeople and flinched. Well, they certainly weren't like the fairytale mermaids I grew up with. Their teeth were missing and their skin was grayish while their eyes were yellow. I swam past them, not wanting to bother them as I probably already have.

My eyes widened as I turned the corner. There were three people tied to the mermaid statue in the middle of what looked like a mer-people square. One person tied up was Ron, and another was a girl around the age of eight. The last person almost made me have a heart-attack. Greta. My little Greta was tied up and looking a sickly green. I looked over at the corner to see Harry (more like a fish-version of him) trying to untie Ron. I closed my eyes and willed the water to cut all three ropes.

I moved forward and motioned for Harry to take the little girl and Ron up to the surface while I took Greta and pulled her into the safety of my bubble. The mer-people backed-up from us as we swam up to the surface from there. I looked down at poor Greta as she shivered from the previous cold of the water. I summoned up a little wisp of fire and held it close to her, hoping it would help.

When we got to the surface, Greta woke up. As did Ron and the little girl. "Yuri!" she exclaimed as she hugged my neck tightly. I was too exhausted to keep holding the bubble so we were forced to swim to shore. I could hear Ron telling Harry about how he shouldn't have taken the song seriously and that Dumbledore wouldn't have allowed them to drown. I could tell that he was telling the truth but as I looked down at Greta I didn't care what reasons they chose her to be part of this task. Dumbledore had a lot of explaining to do.

When we reached the shore, Madam Pomfrey wrapped us all in thick blankets. Greta wouldn't let go of me so we just shared a blanket. I rubbed her back and whispered in her ear that it would be all-right. She didn't cry, which wasn't a surprise. She had always been strong for her age. I couldn't hear anything but Greta's teeth that were chattering. Even though Pomfrey had taken all the water off of us with a spell she was still cold. Either that or she was still scared.

"Yna oui ymnekrd?" I asked her.

"Oayr . . ."

"Oui tuh'd cuiht ymnekrd."

"E fyc zicd clynat y meddma." I chucked a bit as I stoked her hair.

"Y meddma?"

"Oayr, pid E fyc UG, lyica E ghaf dryd oui fuimt lusa kad sa."(1) I sighed and buried my nose in her hair. This couldn't happen again. I wouldn't let it happen again.

It was then that I heard Bagman speaking.

"Fleur Delacour, though she demonstrated excellent use of the Bubble-Head Charm, was attacked by grindylows as she approached her goal, and failed to retrieve her hostage. We award her twenty-five points." There were applause from the stands, but I could hear anymore. I turned back to Greta who was now telling me about what was happening in the Demon Kingdom while I was gone. She didn't stop talking until we heard my name called from Bagman's voice.

"Yuri Shibuya, though he was last to recover his hostage, he displayed an unusual and strong wandless magic that got him there safely. He also helped free the other hostages and helped Harry carry them to the surface." Bagman chuckled as he added the last part, "He also protects his hostage even after the ordeal, which displays his never-ending loyalty. The judges saw it fit to award him thirty-six points." I did some math in my head and then shrugged as I realized that I was in second place. It seemed like Harry and Cedric were tied for fourth while Krum was third and Fleur was fourth.

I told this to Greta who was angry at my not getting first along with Harry and Cedric, but I only laughed and said that it didn't matter. I looked up at the crowd of people to see Conrad stepping up and patting Greta on the head. She blushed before looking down at her hands. She really was shy.

"Tu oui fyhd du ku ehceta du fyns ib?"

"Lyh fa?"

"Uv luinca, E'mm cruf oui cusa uv dra haf sykel E'ja maynhat duu." I watched as Greta's eyes widened with curiosity.

"Mad'c ku! Mad'c ku!"(2) She said excitedly as she pulled me toward the castle.

* * *

(1)"Are you alright?"

"Yeah . . ."

"You don't sound alright."

"I was just scared a little."

"A little?"

"Yeah, but I was OK, cause I knew that you would come get me."

(2) "Do you want to go inside to warm up?"

"Can we?"

"Of course, I'll show you some of the new magic I've learned too."

"Let's go! Let's go!"

* * *

Me: Whoa, it's been a while hasn't it?

Friend: Are you feeling better?

Me: A little, I just figured that broading over my situation wouldn't help so I decided to write to keep my mind off it.

Friend: Well, that's something.


	29. Chapter 29

Me: Umm, some people were asking why the last chapter was rushed, and why it wasn't all that good even though I delayed it for a long time. Well, it's mostly because for most of that time I didn't have the will to write anything for fun and I was barely getting by on my homework so I literally wrote that in twenty minutes after having my revelation.

Friend: Yeah, so don't judge!

Me: Shut up, anyway the storyline might get a bit sketchy because I have to reread so that I don't put in a lot of plot holes, it has been a while since I got to writing this story.

* * *

It was nice to see Greta again. I think I didn't realize just how much I was missing the Demon Kingdom. It was really great to see her warm and dry and smiling again. To be honest that ordeal scared me more then I wanted to admit. For the past few days I was showing her around the castle. The Golden Trio were giving me weird looks as I played with her constantly, but they didn't really understand. At the Demon Kingdom, I had all these responsibilities that I had to take care of, and that just didn't leave me with enough time with Greta. It was nice to get be able to play with her.

Whenever I went to classes she stayed with my mom, who was extremely happy to be a grandmother. I was walking down the hall with a spring in my step by the time that my classes ended. Greta really was making my day a lot brighter. "Yuri!" I stopped suddenly and turned around to see Harry running towards me.

"What's wrong Harry?" I asked, wondering what he could want me for.

I waited for him to catch his breath before he answered. "Hogsmeade . . . . will . . . you . . . come?" I stared at him for a second. Oh yeah, the trip to Hogsmeade is tomorrow.

I thought about it for a second before nodding ok. "As long as we can take her to the candy-shop first." I thought about it even more and then laughed a little, "And I wasn't worrying about the danger, she can be a little dangerous herself sometimes." I thought back to her quick skills with the hidden knife the day I met her. For someone so young she knew how to survive on her own. I just wished that I could help so that she didn't have to anymore.

The bells rang in the distance, causing Harry to hurry off and causing me to head back to my room. I opened the door to smell the familiar aroma of my mom's curry. I smiled and quietly shut the door as I noticed Greta sleeping peacefully on the couch. I walked over and moved the blanket she had up to her shoulders.

Her hair had grown down a little past her shoulders and she was starting to lose some of her baby-fat. It was hard to admit, but my little-girl was growing up. I pushed a stray hair out of her face and smiled as her steady breathing didn't even change. "Yuu-chan," I heard my mom call quietly as she smiled and pointed at the table for dinner. I looked at the table to notice that it was only set for five. Including the little plate that was meant for Greta.

I tip-toed over to mom to ask about the plates. She whispered in my ear, "Gwen-chan and Conrad are still here but your father and brother had to leave for 'important business.' Honestly, those two are exactly alike!" I could hear the slight annoyance in mom's voice but chose to let it go. It was true that dad had to get back to his work in the bank and Shori had to 'train' with Bob. Which made me wonder; what did Bob think about this whole 'wizard-situation'?

I waited at the table and had a glass of water as Conrad came in, followed by Gwendal. Mom went over to go wake Greta up, to which could take a while. The curry pot coming from the stove smelled delicious and the salad mom made looked really good too.

I waited and watched as Greta woke up and rubbed the sleepiness from her eyes. She walked over to me and rested her head on my lap, causing me to cave and let her sit on it. What a spoiled child.

Dinner went by cheerfully as Greta had finally woken up and started chattering about what she had done all day. I listened as best as I could but I couldn't really concentrate with all the things going through my head. I was thinking mostly about Harry's 'friend' and wondering if it was really ok if I could meet him.

As dinner came to an end, I noticed that Greta was starting to fall asleep again. Her head was starting to fall as she struggled to keep it up. I smiled and gently picked her up so that she was hugging my neck and lightly pulling my longer hair. Maybe I should get a haircut.

I opened up the door to my bedroom and laid her onto one side of the bed before getting dressed in my pajamas. Greta's light snoring filled the air as I stretched and climbed into bed with her. She grumbled a bit in her sleep and turn a bit, but other than that she was asleep peacefully. I brushed her hair a little bit before blowing out the candle to get some sleep myself.

* * *

The next day Conrad promised to take Greta home while I was out. I said my goodbyes and even transfigured a butterfly bracelet out of wood for her. Needless to say, she went home with a smile.

It was at that point that had me wondering. How were they traveling from this world and back without my help? I always assumed it was a certain annoying, dead king who couldn't mind his own business, but now I was having my doubts. I should probably ask Murata about that, along with why Greta was here in the first place.

I got ready in my room, putting on the cloak that Yosak gave me and grabbing a bag of money. Mom was leaving in a few days, (due to the request of my father) and I thought that I could probably sneak her a protection charm or something that would keep her from coming back here for awhile. (Her love for magical things was probably the only thing that was keeping her here anyway)

I stepped outside and was surprised to see Harry waiting for me, along with Ron and Hermione. I watched as Hermione whispered something in Harry's ear but he only shrugged her off. What was that about? We walked in an awkward silence while Ron and Hermione were whispering to each other. I raised an eyebrow at them but decided to leave it as it was. It was obvious that they had a thing for each other, even if they didn't know it.

While Harry and Ron went to Gladrags Wizardwear, Hermione and I went to Honeydukes because I wanted to stop. I searched the rows and flinched when I saw the blood pops. I ignored them and went over to look at the chocolate frogs.

"Um, Yuri?" I looked over at the voice to see Hermione with a bright red blush on her face. "I know it's not any of my business, but that girl who you rescued from the lake . . . ." I waited for her to continue as she tried to get the words out, "Um, what is your relationship with her?" I blinked twice before going over what she asked me in my head.

How was I going to explain this one? I couldn't just lie. I hated lying. I licked my dry lips, coming up with something to say, "You wouldn't believe me if I told you." I said going back to look at the chocolate frogs and the new ones that had raspberry flavor in the middle. I could feel Hermione staring at me as if she were saying 'try me'. I sighed again and turned to her, "Can I tell you later? Now's really not the best time." I motioned toward the three other people that were listening in to our conversation. Honestly, how rude could these people get? Hermione's eyes lit up as she nodded and waited for me to buy my sweets.

We later met up with Harry and Ron who had bought the oddest looking socks I had ever seen in my life. We then headed out toward the edge of the village, where there were more farms and fewer cottages. I followed them to the foot of a mountain where we saw a large black dog waiting. "Hello Snuffles." I heard Harry say as we approached it. The dog had a newspaper in its mouth and its tail wagged as it saw Harry, Ron and Hermione, but it stopped when it saw me.

I waved and watched as the dog turned away and trotted off, forcing us to follow him. We went up the mountain a bit, something I was strangely used to, but I couldn't say the same for the Golden Trio. By the time we reached our destination; a cool, dimly lit cave, the dog was gone and there was a hippogriff in the cave. Oh joy, another magical creature.

The hippogriff looked at me and the rest of the group eerily. I looked at the Golden Trio who had all simultaneously bowed. The creature hesitated before regarding me. "Yuri, what are you doing?" asked Harry as he tried to get me to bow. But for some reason my body wouldn't let me. The hippogriff walked up and grabbed a piece of my hair in its beak, getting my attention. Its orange eyes stared at me before letting go of my hair, stomping the ground and bowing in front of me. I hesitantly bowed back.

"That is probably the first time in history that a hippogriff ever bowed to another creature first." I looked over at the new voice to see a stranger with straggled hair, rags that didn't look warm at all and he was unbelievably thin. I looked him over for a second before I spotted the newspaper in his hand.

"You're that dog." I said bluntly. The man raised an eyebrow at me before laughing out loud.

I stepped back and allowed Harry to give the food he had been hiding to the starving man. I watched as he dove into it like there was no better food in the world. "Harry?" I asked a little unsure if I should, "Who is this?"

Harry turned around to look at me before answering, "This is Sirius Black, my godfather."

* * *

Me: I was kind of debating whether I should have a 'godfather vs godfather' sort of thing.

Friend: what do you mean?

Me: Well, I love Sirius, but I also love Conrad. I think they are both great godfathers but I can't really decide who is better.

Friend: Hmm, that is a tough one.

Me: Not to mention, if you think about it, Harry and Yuri are a lot alike. They both have loving Godfathers who have been through hell and back, they both were placed into an unlikely situation due to their birth, (prophecy and soul-sharing) and I dunno why but Yuri's parent's are kind of an image for what Harry's parents might have been like if they were alive. (excluding Miko's enthusiasm)

Friend: Hmm, interesting.

Me: Yeah but at the same time they have obvious differences, which I really don't think I need to point out.


	30. Chapter 30

**Me: I'm sorry, I'm a despicable human being, please forgive me, I had completely forgotten about my fanfics, please don't kill me, . . . .or hit me I bruise easily. **

* * *

We watched as Sirius threw the chicken bone to the hippogriff, which ate it up pretty greedily. I looked around the cave to find a dry spot to sit and eventually found a reasonable corner. I leaned on the side of the cave wall and let myself sit on the cold rock. I waited as Harry read the two Daily Prophets that Sirius had obtained. I had already read them; it was a habit that I had picked up ever since I came to the wizarding world to read the paper.

"They're making it sound like he's dying," I heard Harry say. "But he can't be that ill if he managed to get up here . . . ."

Ron spoke after him, "My brother's Crouch's personal assistant," Sirius looked intrigued at the news, "He says that Crouch is suffering from overwork."

"Mind you, he _did _look ill, last time I saw him up close," Harry countered, "That night my name came out of the goblet. . . ."

"Getting his comeuppance for sacking Winky, isn't he?" Hermione said with an edge in her voice. I sighed, getting everyone's attention.

"Hermione, you know it's not that. This is way too convenient for it to be that." Sirius looked at me with an eyebrow raised.

"Convenient?" He asked with a little suspicion in his voice.

I nodded, "Think about it. Crouch gets ill right after Harry's and my name get put into the cup and he doesn't show up for the rest of the tournament." I frowned as I looked through Murata's memories. From what he told me, before he was Christine he was a wizard during the early part of the war. Sadly enough that wizard had died before any of this happened, but Christine still kept in touch with the wizarding world even if she was technically a Muggle. I looked back at Sirius, matching his older face to a much newer version in my stored memory. It was no wonder that I had thought he was so familiar; he was from Murata's memories! "Also, I wouldn't trust a man who sent people to Azkaban without a trial." I looked pointedly at Sirius.

Harry, Ron and Hermione all looked from Sirius to me before the dog-like man broke the silence, "You know a lot for your age." He grinned as he threw another chicken bone to the hippogriff. I watched as the ragged man quickly picked up the last chicken and started tearing it apart.

I slipped back into my own thoughts as the four continued to talk. Something wasn't right here. I thought back to the last time I went to the Demon Kingdom. Something wasn't right there either. There was this tickle feeling on the back of my neck. Something in their conversation brought me back to reality.

" -scared for yourself, and your family, and your friends. Every week, news comes of more deaths, more disappearances, more torturing . . . ."

"You don't know who to trust." before I could stop it my voice rose up. I thought back to the almost-war with Big Shimaron. I had doubted Conrad . . .I had doubted myself and the people around me. I was scared of what would happen if I couldn't prevent the war. That was when I wanted to go back to who I used to be; just a naïve boy.

Everyone was staring at me. Harry, Ron and Hermione with curious eyes while Sirius's was filled with pity and surprise. I took a deep breath, ready to finish my thought. It wasn't like I could stop now.

"That's what it was like right? You didn't know who you could trust and it seemed like every time you did you were betrayed. That's what war does to you. Makes you paranoid and edgy until soon you forget what it was like to believe in someone."

". . . . I don't know who you are, Yuri Shibuya," Sirius started, pausing to look me over as if considering something, "and I don't know what you've been through, but yes." He threw his last chicken bone to Buckbeak. "That is exactly what it felt like."

* * *

Our encounter with Sirius didn't last very long. We headed back to Hogwarts, parting ways and leaving me to wander the hallways.

Suspicions drew conclusions to more suspects and so on and so forth. Honestly, I felt like there wasn't enough information going around for us to draw and plausible conclusions. The conversation itself was enlightening in its own way but I felt like I didn't learn enough. It was like there was a key piece of information we were missing.

Barty Crouch . . .maybe he knew something. If I could confront him . . .no, I didn't want to jump to any conclusions. Assumptions were never a good thing to jump to.

I was so lost in thought that I didn't notice it when I bumped into someone. "S-sorr-" I started to say, looking up at whoever it was. Frozen, I stared at the man towering above me.

Mad-eyed Moody.

His soul was radiating at me with a darkness that could only belong to someone completely insane. I had seen it before, but never this close. I backed away, trying to regain my composure. "Sorry." I nodded curtly before shuffling away.

I could feel it. His eye was penetrating my back with an unneeded curiosity. I picked up my pace, not stopping until I reach my bedroom.

* * *

**Me: Yeah, so um. I have not updated this is soooo long. In truth I had half of it already written and completely forgot about it. I apologize for the . . . . slight? small? big? extreme? delay. I really have no other excuse other than I'm in my Junior year of High School, which is probably the busiest year of a high school career. HOWEVER, just because I found time to update this story doesn't mean I'll be able to update again soon. I still have the SAT and ACT to test through, not to mention some end-of-the-year projects. So don't hold your breath.**


	31. Chapter 31

**Me: HAHAHA Finally, my creative juices have started flowing. I finished my SAT today, and now I only have the ACT next week! I think the stress from the SAT melted away and gave me what I needed to write this chapter. Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

I reached my bedroom with ease, thinking over everything that had happened.

What was going on? I felt like there were secrets, deep secrets, that were being kept from us. My gut was telling me to investigate this immediately, but I really didn't want to go around the castle with Moody slinking about.

"Yuri," Conrad called to me. I looked over to see his face contain a somber expression, "Something came up." I froze and looked over at the couch. I really needed to sit down.

"What is it?" I asked, shuffling over to the couch and falling into its cushions.

"It's about the Demon Kingdom." Conrad sighed before taking a seat as well. "Remember the whole bandit fiasco?" I nodded, thinking back to how painfully easy that situation had been resolved. "We discovered that the magic they were using wasn't exactly from our world."

Ok, _this _was new. I stared at Conrad, trying to find anything that might believe me into thinking that he was joking. Nothing. He was completely serious.

I was too shocked to move. What was going on? So the bandits were using Earth magic; that meant that a witch or wizard must've found their way to my world. I tapped my fingers on the armrest. This was bad. What if it was those Death Eaters that found their way to the Demon Kingdom? Would my people be safe? Knowing what those curses could do I wasn't so sure.

"You sure it's from here?"

Conrad's eyes narrowed just a bit before nodding, "I researched a bit in the library here. The spell they were using definitely came from here. However, I could only find it in the restricted section."

I leaned my head back and put my right hand over my eyes, hoping this was all just a dream. I really didn't want to imagine what damage wizards could do if they made it to the Demon Kingdom. I didn't really want to think about it right now, either. I sighed and looked back up to Conrad. "How is everyone at home?" I really just asked the question as a distraction from this whole situation.

My godfather gave this _hum _before answering, "Wolfram is sulking. Greta is trying to cheer him up. Gunter misses you and Yosak was just recently sent on a mission. Gwendal is going back and forth between the worlds, trying to resolve this . . .matter." So much for distractions.

"Conrad . . . ." I whispered, just realizing how deep I dug myself in. I still hadn't explained anything to Harry, Ron and Hermione, Wolfram was _pissed _at me, Murata was ignoring my questions and I wasn't in a position to visit the Demon Kingdom for some peace and quiet. "What should I do?" I didn't dare move my hand from my face, instead I just move my arm so that I was hiding in the crook of my arm instead. Real mature Shibuya.

I could heard Conrad shift in his seat, "What do you think needs to be done?" I let my arm drop to my side, looking up to take a peak at my Godfather's expression. A sad smile graced his lips as if he were holding back what he really wanted to tell me. He was chiding me, I realized. As well as trying to get me to understand.

I smiled, slapping myself with both hands before jumping up from the couch. Time for the old Yuri Shibuya to take over and leap before looking.

"I _know _what needs to be done."

Grabbing my cloak, I raced out the door. Stopping only to yell out, "I'll be back!" First stop: The Gryffindor Common Room.

* * *

It wasn't curfew, but it was close. Which probably meant that I would be spending the night here. I didn't mind it though. I missed my school friends either way. I said the password as I reached the portrait, allowing it to swing open before I shuffled in.

There were a few people in the Common Room, but not much. Luckily, the Golden Trio were there. Ron and Harry playing Chess, while Hermione spoke with a fellow student about a project. I went to Harry and Ron first. They both looked up at me with mildly surprised faces, but they still looked genuinely happy to see me. At least I hadn't avoided them to the point to where they hated me.

I sat down, allowing them to continue their chess game. Ron was obviously winning, but Harry didn't seem to mind. In fact, he seemed used to it. An hour passed before all the extra students left, leaving Hermione to join us. The bushy-haired girl looked at me with a leveling stare, to which I matched.

She sighed and broke eye contact first, "Not to be rude, but why are you here, Yuri?" Harry and Ron paused in their game to glance at Hermione and myself.

I grinned, feeling a weight on my heart be lifted, "I felt like it was time to provide some of my own secrets." Hermione's face lit up like Christmas while Ron's was full of surprise. Harry looked at me suspiciously, to which I didn't blame him for. I lifted a finger to get their attention, "However, not all of them. I'll let you ask questions, but if I find them too personal to answer then you _will not _bother me about them _again. _Alright?" Hermione seemed to contemplate this before nodding but Ron and Harry nodded with no hesitation.

Hermione was the first one to ask a question, "How is that girl related to you?" I furrowed my brow in puzzlement, "The one you rescued from the lake." She clarified, noticing my expression.

My lips made an 'O' impression before I answered, "She's my daughter."

Jaws dropped all around me in disbelief. Oh no. I tried to correct the misunderstanding that was ultimately going through their minds, "M-My adopted daughter."

The shock seemed to disappear from their faces, but Ron was still skeptical. "_How _the bloody hell do you end up with an adopted daughter at _your _age?"

I laughed, not sure how I would explain that one, "It's a _long _story. But in the end, she wanted a parent to care for her and I was in authority to adopt her." I hummed to myself, shifting in the comfy chair so that I was leaning to one side. "I love her like my own daughter, so there wasn't any problem."

Smiles made their way to my friends lips as I stared off into space. "It won't be long before she grows up though . . ." I started saying to myself, lost in fantasy. "And then she'll meet some guy." My voice started getting whinier while tears formed on the edge of my eyes, "And then marry away from her 'papa' and ask me to walk her down the isle." By now tears were freely wandering down my face and my voice had turned into a desperate tone. I quickly tried to take myself out of that horrifying thought.

I watched as Harry leaned over to Ron, "Who would've thought that Yuri was a dotting father?"

I glared at him for his teasing, wiping away tears as I spoke, "You don't understand! I hope you have a daughter that marries the man you hate!" They only laughed at me as I tapped my foot in frustration.

Hermione stepped in with another question to ease the tension I was creating with my constant glares at Harry, "So, what about your Headmasters? They seem awfully close to you for it to simply be a teacher-student relationship." Why did I get the feeling that there was some sort of innuendo in that question?

I sighed, wondering how I would explain this one. My relationship with Conrad was obvious so I'll start there. "Well, Conrad is my Godfather. And Gwendal is Conrad's older brother, so I guess it was only natural that I would be closer to them then one usually would be."

Harry's eyebrows rose, "So, wait. That brown-haired man is your Godfather? How did that happen?"

He probably meant the question to be rhetorical, but I answered anyway, "Funny story, apparently my mom was in labor with me while she was out walking in Boston. She tried to hail a cab, but no one would stop, so a man stopped his cab and shared the ride with her." I paused, thinking about my mother who had told me the story, "That man told her that in his country the word "Yuri" means "July", which is the month I was born in."

Harry stared at me for a few seconds before blinking once more, "So that man . . .was Conrad?" I nodded enthusiastically.

I thought back to when I first talked to Conrad about it, "Yeah, when I first met Conrad he told me how, despite my mom being in labor, she was still yelling directions at the driver." I chuckled to myself, imagining the scene. "You can imagine that he's practically family at this point."

The three of them looked at each other, faces softening for a second. Hermione's didn't stay that way for long as she sighed and asked another question. "What's your real age?"

I wasn't expecting _that. _I blinked and started scratching the back of my head, damn my nervous habbit "Uh, I thought I told you." I was trying to dodge the question and she knew it. She gave me a stare that let me know that I wasn't getting out of this one. "Seventeen . . . ."

The bushy-haired girl shook her head, "But . . .how? You don't _look _seventeen and if you _were _seventeen, how come you're not in seventh year?"

I leaned back, wondering if I should tell them or not. It wasn't like it was a huge secret. Dumbledore knew, but I wasn't sure how they would react. Telling someone you were a demon would probably give them a big shock, wizard or no.

"Remember how I explained to you what a Demon was?" They all nodded their heads. I scratched the back of mine before looking around the room, making sure there was nobody around. "I lied." Their eyes widened at me, "Demon's are . . .not human. I don't mean that as an insult, it's true. A main difference between a human and a demon is their age." I took a deep breath and released it shakily. "Or lack thereof. You see, a full-blooded demon ages about one tenth to what a human does. So if they are ten years old, they would look about a year to you." I couldn't look them in the eye. I really hated lying and it was difficult to admit that I did. "When a demon hits sixteen, they go through a growth spurt that brings them to look their real age. Afterwards they go through the slower aging process again, but it's significantly faster than when they were younger." I rubbed my eyes.

"But, wait. By that logic you should at least look sixteen." I scratched my nose at Hermione's statement.

"Well, I _do. _To someone who is Japanese I look sixteen. But for some reason I look only about fourteen here." I shook my head and tapped a finger on my chin in thought, "Maybe it's a cultural thing or something. But you also got to understand is that _my _aging is different from a full-blooded demon because I am only half-demon. So I don't really know if the same rules apply to me."

I put a hand on my forehead, still unable to meet their eyes. I felt a hand go on my shoulder, but I couldn't tell whose it was. "I think we're done for today." I looked up to see Harry glaring at his friends with stern eyes. Hermione looked like she wanted to protest, but after glancing me she shut her mouth.

I looked at the window to see how dark it had gotten. The moon was high in the sky and the stars were twinkling. I stood up and stretched. I knew that I should probably go to bed, but I still had work to do. "I'm gonna head out. See ya guys!" And with that, I grabbed my cloak and shuffled out of the common room before any one of them could stop me.


	32. Chapter 32

**Me: Ok, so, I wrote this really late at night after having a horrifying nightmare, so don't blame me if Yuri's fear seems a bit OOC. **

* * *

My feet carried me all the way to the History of Magic classroom. Somehow, I knew he would be here, despite the million other places he could be. It was a small miracle that I didn't run into anyone else in the hallways. I really didn't want to deal with Moody at this time of night. I power-walked through several of the hallways. Letting instinct take me to the History of Magic classroom. I pushed open the door, practically slamming it behind me. Murata looked up from his desk, startled at my presence. His hand was clutching a piece of parchment and his glasses were slid down further on his nose then normal.

I sighed and pulled back my hood. Murata's shoulder's relaxed as he saw who I was. A breath was released from his lips and his eyes softened. "Shibuya~ you know better then to be out after curfew." He shuffled his papers together and set his quill aside before turning to me with a more serious expression. "So . . .what brings you here?"

I sighed. He was cleverer then this. He knew why I was here. "What's going on Murata?" He shifted his head so that his glasses were shinning to the point where I couldn't see his eyes. "The kidnappers . . .before it just felt like another incident we've had. The magic that they were using . . .it was from here wasn't it?"

The Great Sage sighed tiredly, turning to look at me with a dejected expression. "Lord Weller told you that, didn't he?" I nodded, motioning for him to continue. "Yes, it's true. The spell that they were using to extract the magic power was indeed from this world." I watched as he waved his wand and summoned a chair in front of his desk. I smiled at him gratefully before taking a seat.

Murata leaned back into his own chair before continuing. "Do you know the story of Harry Potter?"

I thought back on the memories that Murata had given me and even some of my own. "Somewhat . . .Harry was somehow able to stop a powerful wizard from killing him when he was a baby, right?"

Murata stretched from his head, pulling his arms above his head before bringing them back down to his desk, "No one knows how it happened. The spell performed on him was the Killing Curse, so there is no conceivable way he could have survived and yet, here he is today." He ran a shaky hand through his hair, "But, this isn't about what happened, it's about who made it happen."

I thought back to my memories once again. The wizard who had disappeared after the night Harry's parents were killed, "Voldemort."

The Great Sage gave me a nod before continuing, "We don't think he's dead. In fact, according to what Dumbledore has told me, he is still alive. He was here under the guise of the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher during Harry's first year."

If that was true then . . . . "He's after Harry isn't he?" Murata slowly nodded, allowing me to catch his eyes under his glasses. They were hard, calculating. He was no longer Ken Murata. He was The Great Sage. Then, it all suddenly clicked. "The Triwizard Tournament. It wasn't a mistake that Harry was entered in. But wait . . .why are you telling me this? Usually you keep everything from me until the last second."

A mischievous grin made its way across my friend's face before suddenly turning more somber, "This is a dangerous situation for you. I feel that it's best that you knew this ahead of time." He laced his fingers together, "Voldemort isn't as dangerous as The Originator, but he is much more unpredictable." Murata brought a hand up to fixed his sliding glasses. "Also, although he is not as much of a danger to the world, he is a much bigger danger to you."

I swallowed, opening and closing my sweating palms. "What does he want from me?"

Murata didn't move as he only watched me as if trying to decide if I really should be told about all of this. I could tell that he thought I wasn't ready. Maybe it was my age, or the very little experience I had under my belt, but in the end he told me, "We don't know but . . .I think it's your soul."

"My . . .soul. . . ?" I repeated, not sure if I believed it just yet.

Murata nodded, opening a book at his side and turning it toward me so I could read its contents, "This is the book with the spell that was being used on the children." I looked at the complicated latin words and intricate design on the side of the pages. "At first glance, it looks like a way to draw out the power of an individual. Yet, if you read further, they actually describe how it's possible to remove the soul of said individual, if you provide a sacrifice." Murata turned the page for me so I could see the new design and words, "The sacrifice does not have to be big for this to work on a human. A chicken, cat or bird might do the trick. The bigger the animal, the better." I turned the page this time. "However, considering the slaughtered chickens we found in the kidnapper's hideout and the fact that no child has turned up dead or injured, then we can only assume that it requires something more powerful for a Demon's soul to be extracted."

I looked up at my friend, startled at this revelation. "You don't mean . . .?"

Murata had never looked older then this moment, "Yes . . .I think you would need a human sacrifice for it to succeed and even then it's not guaranteed to work."

I suddenly felt sick to my stomach. I could feel bile rise to the base of my throat but I forced it down. "Was this why my name was put into the goblet?" All I received was a brief nod, but it was enough. I closed the book in front of me. Tucking it under my arm, intending to study it when I got back to my room. "Will you . . .walk me back?" I asked, unsure if I really wanted company at the moment, but logic took over. "I don't want to get caught by another teacher. At least if I'm with you I don't have to serve any detentions." That and I really didn't want to be alone after I was told I was being targeted for my soul.

A chuckle escaped his lips as he simply shook his head in amusement. "Of course, your majesty."

I cringed, "You know I don't like it when people call me that. And you usually don't. Why the change?"

The Great Sage shrugged, "Maybe I said it just to annoy you."

I rolled my eyes, "Well, are you being the perfect friend today." I walked ahead to him a bit, opening the door so loudly that I barely caught what Murata said.

"I wish I could do better."

* * *

**Me: See, I told you that the kidnappers would be important later! Everything in my story has a purpose, even if you aren't aware of what that purpose is. MWUHAHAHAHA**


	33. Chapter 33

**Me: So, I'm not at home at the moment. I'm staying at my sister's place and it is sooo _boring _here. So, I've been writing. Now, I'm not going to be here long so don't expect this all the time ok?**

* * *

I think it was good that I decided to sleep instead of go immediately to Dumbledore. I was now walking down the hall, heading towards the Headmaster's office when I started daydreaming about our predicament. From what Murata had told me last night, Voldemort was after me. Not only that, he was after Harry.

I frowned at the thought of some big-bad wizard going after my friend. I understood why he was after Harry. Revenge was a simple concept to understand, but what puzzled me is _why _he's targeting him _now. _After Harry's first year, one would assume that security measures would be taken in order to protect him. It would just be a pain to try and kill Harry while he was still in school. Unless. . . .

I stopped in my tracks. He _needed _Harry. For one reason or another, he need Harry alive.

At least, he needed him alive for now.

I shook my head and increased my pace. I ignored the students that were hurrying past me, pausing only to get a glance in my direction. Instead I turned a corner so that I was standing right in front of Dumbledore's office. The statue seemed to understand why I was here because it immediately leaped out of the way for me to pass.

I ran up two steps at a time, pushing open the door and coming up to Dumbledore himself, who didn't seem surprised to see me.

"Your Highness . . . ." He said with a tired voice, smiling slightly. It was at that point that I started to feel guilty about coming here unannounced. The old Headmaster looked exhausted. He probably was worrying over the issue of Voldemort a lot harder then I was. "What brings you to my office? During class no less . . . ." He waved his wand and a chair appeared in front of his desk. I really needed to ask Murata how to do that, it looked convenient.

I took a seat, looking up at the older man and wondering if now was really the best time to talk about this. I shook off those thoughts. Now was the only time I could talk about it. Especially when it was so fresh in my mind. "It's about Harry." I stated with as strong of a voice that I could muster.

Dumbledore nodded, "And Voldemort, correct?" He then motioned for me to continue. I took a deep breath.

"Yeah, look I'm sure you've figured it out before I did, but what does Voldemort want with Harry? Especially now, of all times." His furrowed brow indicated to me that he did not understand, so I continued. "I mean, putting myself in his position, I would honestly say that I would want revenge. But, assuming that Voldemort is as smart as he is, why not wait for Harry to develop a sense of security? Why not wait for him to graduate and leave the safety of Hogwarts?" I shook my head, disgusted with myself that I was even thinking these things, "That led me to believe that Voldemort wants . . .no he _needs _Harry now. He needs him for something, I don't know what, but it has to be something that is . . . .fading. I think that . . .Voldemort doesn't have much time left for what he needs to be done and for some reason he needs Harry to help get it done."

The older man leaned back in his chair and thought about it, "How do you figure?"

I tried to get my thoughts in order. Most of what I was going on was instinct, but I knew there was logic in this somewhere. I took a minute to find it before voicing my opinions, "The Triwizard Tournament." Ok, that was a good start, "It's dangerous, especially for someone who has not had all the proper training of a wizard. Harry could die at any time within the tasks, but I don't think that's what Voldemort would want." I rubbed my forehead with my hand, "Revenge . . .he wants revenge so it would have to be direct. He wants to kill Harry himself, so entering Harry in the Tournament is a ruse. He doesn't want to kill Harry, he wants to kidnap him."

I watched as white eyebrows furrowed and lips tightened at my words. This was probably something he hadn't considered, and it probably wouldn't be something I would have considered either, if I hadn't been plagued with the thought of being kidnapped myself. "So . . .You think that Voldemort is wanting to kidnap Harry for a purpose . . .possibly to take direct revenge?" I nodded, that sounded just about right. Dumbledore let out a tired sigh before rubbing his eyes. I frowned at the bags that were settling underneath his eyes but stayed quiet. "That is . . .a problem if that is true."

"I think he's running out of time." I blurted out, moving on with my train of thought, "Voldemort. He's probably running out of time. That's why he wants to take his revenge now."

The old man looked at me with a bitter smile, "I have a theory as to why he wants Harry." He picked up a sheet of paper and moved it over to the other side of his desk. "What I don't have is a theory as to why he would want you." I looked at the sheet to see that it was a Daily Prophet. Specifically the one about Demons.

I laughed nervously, not sure how I could explain it, "Well, I don't know? Negotiation maybe. He could get a lot of support for having me as a hostage, I guess. But I would never allow my friends to go along with any of his demands either way." I hardened my gaze on the Daily Prophet, feeling my Demon Magic spiral underneath my anger.

I shook myself out of it, not wanting to deal with any problems that Maou Mode would create if it came out right now. Dumbledore seemed to be studying me closely but I only smiled. I didn't want to have to explain more then I had to. I got up and stretched, pulling on my tired muscles before heading out the door. Pausing, I turned back to the aging man behind me, "You know . . .you should probably tell Harry some of this . . ." The thought was out of my mouth before I could stop it, "This information could save his life and I think in the end he will understand." Dumbledore gave me a torn look, "If you don't want to, I will."

He closed his eyes before nodding to me. I nodded back and turned around to walk out the door.

* * *

**Me: I always found it odd that Dumbledore never told Harry anything. I mean, I understand wanting him to have a childhood and to keep him away from war as long as possible, but if it threatens his life, then I think he should have a right to know about it. Let's hope that Yuri can correct that hmmm?**


	34. Chapter 34

**Me: Ahahaha 4:10 a.m and I am still awake. Insomnia FTW!**

* * *

The next morning I joined the Gryffindors for breakfast. Hermione sat next to me with Ron and Harry sitting across the table. As I sat down, I looked over at Hermione to give her a greeting when I noticed a hoard of owls appear to swoop down and land in front of Hermione. Harry grabbed Hermione's goblet before it fell.

"What on Earth —?" Hermione said, reaching out to take a letter before opening. "Oh really!" She sputtered, her face turning a nice shade of red. I looked over her shoulder and almost spat out my drink.

_You are a wicked girl. Harry Potter deserves better. Go back where you came from Muggle._

I groaned and took the letter from her, handing it over to Ron and Harry. I stopped Hermione's hands as she tried to reach for more. "Don't. You don't know what's in those letters." I took each letter gingerly and stacked them onto each other. "Hidden knifes, thumbtacks, even worse messages then the one you've read. Hate mail comes in all forms and those are all things a muggle could do. A wizard could probably do a lot worse." Hermione nodded at me, taking the letters and clutching them in her grasp, careful not to open any of them.

Ron looked at her and then the letters before saying, "At least it wasn't a Howler." I blinked before trying to come up with what a 'Howler' was. It sure didn't sound pleasant.

I shook my head. Hermione had rifled through the letters and had taken out a specific one before putting it aside. I looked at it, frowning to see that it came from the Daily Prophet. "I'm going to go back to my room. You want me to burn those letters for you?" I looked over at the bushy-haired girl who frowned but handed them to me anyway. I grinned and stuffed them in my pocket. "I'll see you guys in Herbology if I have time. My Godfather's going to be bringing me back to my training." I stretched and waved goodbye to them before heading back to my room.

* * *

Conrad's training had been brutal. Apparently I had been getting lazy while staying at Hogwarts, which hadn't been much of a surprise. Laps, sparring and a couple of history lessons filled up my entire Herbology time. I had a feeling that there was more to this training then me simply getting lazy. I knew he wouldn't admit it, or more like couldn't, but Conrad was nervous about me being in the Triwizard Tournament. Gwendal was as well. They were both on edge, reaching for their swords at every unexpected noise and both sporting a paranoid look.

It became clear to me that this world's magic spooked them a bit. I couldn't blame them. It spooked me too. Ghosts especially, but I wasn't about to think about that.

Maybe it was those three forbidden curses. Death, torture and control. All three aspects were terrifying. I frowned, wondering if there really was a counter-curse for the Killing Curse. If it ever existed, I would assume that my ancestor probably locked up the knowledge in the family vault or something.

I groaned as I trotted over to Care of Magical Creatures class. The fresh bruises from training restricted my movements slightly, but I continued on, stretching my arms as I walked. As I came up to the field I noticed that Hagrid was already putting away the creatures that he was going to show us today. I pouted a bit, realizing that I missed something really cool, if the faces of the students walking away gave any indication.

"What gold?" I heard Harry ask I came closer. I noticed that Ron had a huge slab of Honeydukes chocolate. Lucky bastard.

"The gold I gave you at the Quidditch World Cup." Ron said, glancing at me when I approached, "The leprechaun gold I gave you for my Omnioculars. In the Top Box. Why didn't you tell me it disappeared?"

I frowned as I noticed a confused look spread across Harry's face, "What's up?" I asked, not really understanding what was going on.

Hermione was the one who graciously answered, "Harry gave Ron an Omniocular. Ron paid him back in leprechaun gold, not knowing it disappeared in a few hours." I connected two and two together, realizing what must've happened, if the pile of gold to the left of the crates were any indication.

"Oh . . ." Harry started, as realization started lighting up him eyes, "I dunno . . . I never noticed it had gone. I was more worried about my wand, wasn't I?"

We started walking back to the Great Hall when Ron decided to speak up. "Must be nice," We all sat down, getting served items that were still foreign to me, but I didn't mind eating. "To have so much money that you don't notice if a pocketful of Galleons goes missing."

"Listen, I had other stuff on my mind that night!" Harry snapped, a bit impatiently. I furrowed my brow. "We all did, remember?"

Ron was about to say something when I raised a hand to stop him. "Look, Ron. Harry is your best friend. I know you feel bad about not being able to pay him back, but let it go for now. It was a mistake, not something you should sulk over." I looked over at Harry, "And Harry, try to understand how he feels. He probably feels like you think he cheated you out of your money, which we all know he didn't, but still, you would probably feel that way if you were in his place."

I sighed stretching my arms again in an attempt to get rid of the soreness. "I'm more worried about the hate mail." I glanced over at Hermione, who was brutally smashing some potato. "It's probably not going to let up for another few weeks or at least until people get bored. Remember Hermione, ignore them. No matter how persistent they get." The bushy-haired girl nodded, determination set in her eyes, causing me to smile a bit.

I watched my friends silently as we ate. It was odd but I felt like they were growing. Not just in body, but also in mind. Talking with them was similar to talking with Greta. Although they were older then her, they were still younger then me. I closed my eyes and shook my head. They reminded me of me when I was younger. Ready to take on the world at only fourteen years old. Sure I wasn't older by much. But a lot of responsibilities helped me grow up quick. Being King, adopting and being engaged. They were all big things you only really thought of happening to you when you were older. Much older.

I set down my fork and knife and reopened my eyes. They were all chatting merrily and carefree, but I knew that would change soon. Voldemort, demons and wizards. This carefree attitude was going to get shot down to Hell in a few months. Suddenly, I found myself with a newborn determination. I would protect it. I would protect them, as best as I could. It was the least I could do.

* * *

**Me: Emotional character attachment realized! Congratulations Yuri you have LVL'D UP! Now you have taken the role of 'Older Brother'!**

**I think many people tend to forget that Yuri, despite how childish he can act, is indeed much older then the people he hangs out with. I admit that I almost forgot this. So, I decided to emphasize this. Therefore, he shall adopt the persona of an older brother. Of course, not extremely. First and foremost he is a friend to the Golden Trio. He doesn't belittle them because they are younger, but he does recognize that they probably lack in patience due to their younger age. **


	35. Chapter 35

Dread filled me from the top of my head to the tip of my toes as I watched the hedges grow themselves in the field. I knew that this had to be the third task. I listened dimly as Bagman explained the maze they were setting up and how the point system was gonna go.

I didn't really bother. As I was too distracted that we were going into a _freaking maze! _WHAT THE HELL WERE THEY THINKING?! No, scratch that, wizards don't think. They impulsively create things that are literal death traps. I mean, seriously. What if someone got lost? Or lose their wand? Or was kidnapped in the middle of the goddamn thing?!

I slapped my palm to my face, groaning while the other four champions turned to look at me. "Wizards. Are. Impractical." I simply said, letting myself fall onto the green grass in annoyance. Harry looked like he was about to burst into laughter, while Fleur, Krum and Diggory were all looking at me in slight amusement but a lot of confusion.

Bagman looked at me with interest, "Why do you say that, Mr. Shibuya?" Oddly enough, his tone wasn't condescending in the least, just pure curiosity.

Feeling a sigh erupt into my throat, I looked at the older man, "You know . . .I have a feeling that most wizards wouldn't last a week without their magic. I was thinking this for a while now but . . .where are your safety measures for the champions? Sure, they signed up for 'eternal glory but the possibility of death' but I mean, that doesn't really instigate death right? Did you know that all the Champions in the past have been under the age of twenty-five? You know why? Cause they were all young and stupid and believed themselves to be invincible. There was a _reason _they stopped the tournaments you know."

The other Champions rolled their eyes. They have heard my argument before, several times in fact. The only problem was that they relied much too heavily on _magic _to get them by. I could imagine half of the nobles at Blood Pledge Castle choking on their own spit if they saw this society. Sure, it was fun, but in a way it was almost . . .childish. Like it held an ignorance that was intentional.

I sighed again and rolled onto my stomach as Krum called Harry away from the field and into the Forest.

. . . .wait. . . .

Scrambling up, I followed them until I hit the tree-line. It looked like they needed some privacy, but I stayed close just in case. I knew what was in that Forest. Most of those things weren't very friendly either and it bothered me about why Krum was leading Harry into there. It wasn't long until I found Harry running by me in a panic.

"Harry!" I called out, causing him to turn back.

"No time! Gotta get Dumbledore!" I furrowed my brow as he ran back to the castle. Instead of following, I turned my heel and headed into the forest to find Viktor Krum tending to a wounded Mr. Crouch.

Summoning some of my healing magic to my palm, I traced it over Crouch in an effort to get him healed up enough. "We need to move him." I said, my voice deepening with an edge of command, "It isn't safe here." Krum nodded dumbly, before helping the older man onto his feet. I used one arm to prop him up and the other to press against his chest while my healing magic took effect.

Growling in frustration at how slow we were going. I trudged even further, ignoring the soreness in my back as the man's weight leaned against me. In the corner of my eye, I could see Moody's soul. It was coming closer and closer and wasn't stopping. A feeling overtook me. One of those gut feelings that Maou Mode had given me in the past. This feeling was telling me there was danger coming. I looked up at Krum, who was barely containing the panic in his eyes, as I tried to come up with a plan.

"Krum." I said firmly, getting his full attention. "Can you carry him on your back?" With a sweaty forehead and a shaky nod, Viktor confirmed it. "Take him to the castle and _go. _Don't worry about me, I'm going to buy you some time. Just make sure to take Crouch and _run. _I don't care if you're out of breath or if you have to crawl on your knees. Also, _don't look back!_"

I shifted the man so that he was resting on the Quidditch player's back. I watched as Krum ran out of the Forest in a panic before turning back to Moody's soul. I waited, my hand on my wand and my mind on my Demon Magic as it stirred under my nervousness. I really wished I had a sword, but there wasn't any point in thinking about that now.

Through the bushes came . . .not Moody.

I blinked at the man who appeared before me and the man blinked back, obviously not expecting me. He was scraggly and obviously worn out. It looked like he'd done a poor job at shaving his chin and he had this little twitch with his tongue that would often flick to the side of his mouth. A feral smile overtook the man as he almost stumbled out of the bush.

This man . . .had Moody's soul. But that shouldn't be possible. A soul is individual to the person, they reflect their personality. No two are alike, not even the Weasley Twin's. "Who are you?" I asked, my voice not wavering. I've faced far worse then this man who looked like a mental ward escapee.

Laughter erupted from the man's lips as he pointed his want toward me, "Crucio!" I barely dodged the red light that erupted from his wand, paling at the incantation. This man was not . . .right.

I ran away from his line of sight. Ducking behind a tree as another bright light, only green, came at me. We played cat and mouse for a while. Me ducking from tree to tree as more and more dangerous lights headed my way. Suddenly, I heard a growl before another spell was heard, "Incendio!" My eyes widened as the tree I was hiding behind was burnt away to a crisp.

I fell forward, trying to get away from the fire before it was put out by another spell cast by the strange man. I scrambled for my wand, until a foot found itself on my hand, stopping me from grasping it. I looked over my shoulder into the eyes of a madman. I tried to reach for my Demon Magic, but another spell was muttered before I could attempt to, "Crucio!"

Pain is an understatement to how this spell feels on the body. Unrelenting torture would be a better term. I screamed, not bothered or embarrassed at how loud I was. Instead, all I could feel was pain. Finally the eternity ended, leaving me grasping for air. I was barely coherent enough to look up at my torturer. A smile crept up on his lips at he spoke one more spell, "_Avada Kadavra!"_


	36. Chapter 36

**Me: This was a very emotional chapter to write. I listened to the Music Box version of 'Simple and Clean', 'This is War' by 30 Seconds to Mars and 'Paradise' by Coldplay. I hope that you will listen to these songs while reading my fanfic, as they are what prompted me to write this so early. 'Simple and Clean' (the music box version) gave this chapter the 'I miss my family and friends' feel. 'This is War' represented Yuri's inner struggle to live and to keep fighting. 'Paradise' was the promise of death and how difficult it is to escape the call to just let go.**

* * *

It's said that before you die, your life flashes before your eyes. I always wondered if I would remember my past lives as well, if I was ever put in that situation. Taking the fact that I am a King, it is very likely to be assassinated or killed in battle, so I had contemplated what would happen if I died multiple times.

Suffice it to say, my life did not flash before my eyes. I did remember, however, an instance when I had asked my parents their thoughts on death and reincarnation. It was probably one of the most valuable lessons I ever got from my father. He didn't give many out, preferring to let his wife do the talking, but when he did Shori and I always knew that it was important and to remember them whole-heartedly.

* * *

_I remembered what my mother used to tell me about death. She didn't say that it was anything to be afraid of, or to avoid it at all costs. She didn't say that it was peaceful or painful, just that it was unavoidable. That I shouldn't dwell on it, just like I don't dwell on why I have to eat or sleep._

_My dad said something slightly different. We had never gone over the subject until after I had become King but I knew that this subject had crossed his mind more then once when we sat down and talked. _

_"We're Demons, son. We don't necessarily die. We can't. Instead we are reincarnated. That is why death is different for us. We don't really 'die', we simply preserver."_

_I thought about it for a second, rolling over the thought in my mind. "What about humans? Or Half-Demons? I mean, where do their souls go if they're not reincarnated?" _

_My father paused, looked down into his cup of tea in thought, "To be honest, I don't know. But ever since I've been with your mother, I've wondered about that." Taking a sip, I just watch him look out the open door of our living room and into the backyard where my mother was hanging up the wet laundry. "I think . . .that some human souls are reincarnated. Only the strong ones, though. The ones that have little regrets in their lives." I tilted my head in thought, urging Dad, mentally, to go on. "It's very rare for a Demon to have many regrets. Oh, we have them, to be sure. But we live much too long to hold onto regrets that matter very little by the time we die. I also think there is something in our blood that keeps us from regretting. Something that tells us, 'Don't worry, it'll resolve itself in time.'." _

_I hummed, taking a sip of my own tea and turned my head to look at Mom. The wrinkles on her face were just starting to become prominent, as a few grey hairs were slipping into her chestnut hair. She was strong. Probably the strongest woman I knew. She would be reincarnated. "So, our souls aren't that different after all. It's just how our experiences are . . . ?" I half-said, half-asked my dad._

_Shouma Shibuya shook his head gently and smiled, "Yes and no. Yes, I don't think our souls are that different from humans. Actually, I think the only reason we can see them physically compared to a human's is because of the Elemental Contracts we undergo. No, I don't think it's about our experiences, it's about our regrets and whether or not we've come of to terms with them. Of course, you can do this at any age with any amount of experience, so that is irrelevant." He took another sip of his steaming tea, closing his eyes as he did so._

_I set down my own tea and leaned back so that I was propped on the palms of my hands, leaning my head back to look at the ceiling. "So . . .if I died tomorrow and had no regrets . . .I would most likely be reincarnated?" I was more talking to myself then anything, but I was startled when I heard the slam of a cup on a table._

_I straitened myself out and stared at my dad, who held a stern expression on his face with one hand gripping his teacup. "_Don't _think like that Yuri." He told me firmly, but I could hear his tone holding some worry. "There have been many Demons in the past who held the belief that they had no regrets and lived their lives recklessly. Dying, only to discover that they _have _regretted something." I nodded, stunned that my father would be so concerned about this. His expression softened and he released his half-full cup. "Promise me, son. That if you find yourself dying and there's a chance you can live, hold on to those regrets so that you may continue living. As long as the body is willing, it will keep your soul safe for you."_

* * *

I wondered what my mom and dad would say if they found out I had died. Mom would probably still put an extra plate on the table at dinner. If only to make it seem like I was still there. I smiled at the thought of her homemade curry and wondered if I would every try it again. Dad would probably visit my grave every week. Nothing dramatic or special like a funeral or on my death day. Probably just to chat and remind me to remember my mother's daily, weird lessons.

Shori would . . .Shori would probably lock himself in his room even more. He would probably drown himself in work. I could imagine Gwendal doing the same. Gunter would cry his heart out. Wolfram would deny it, saying that I would be too much of a wimp to just up and die, before finally breaking down and make terrible art for a week. Conrad would . . .I don't know what Conrad would do. Probably go on with his duties while Yosak would talk to him about random moments we had shared together and Greta . . .oh Greta . . . .She would have to grow up without her Papa. I wouldn't see her grow up to become a beautiful woman. I wouldn't be able to fight off all the boys that came after her. I wouldn't be able to finally (and grudgingly) watch her get married.

The Kingdom would probably mourn before moving on. Wolfram would be a good King. He was always noble and proper, if a bit rude and snooty. The allied Kingdoms would pay their respects . . . .

But . . . I . . .I would miss everyone. I would miss hearing Gunter's lessons, tasting Mom's curry, baking with Greta, watching Gwendal knit, runing away from Annissina when one of her crazy experiments went wild, walking around the Kingdom in disguise, Wolfram's snores, getting the occasional life lesson from Dad and even getting one of Shori's lectures. I would miss it all.

And I regretted not relishing in those moments when I had them.

Green light had filled my vision, obscuring the mad man from view and everything else around me. I could feel my soul being cut and pulled away from my body, something that made me tremble and grow cold. Forcing my eyes to look down at where the spell hit me, I could see my soul leaving my body. I grasped it, feeling warmer already, before attempting to push it back in. It wouldn't budge, instead it stayed lodged in the middle.

My memories of my family past through my eyes, but somehow it wasn't enough. My soul stubbornly stayed where it was. I tried to think of something else. Anything else. That would ensure that I could keep living.

A pair of sad, almond-shaped green eyes came to the forefront of my mind and vision. A strange sense of nostalgia came over me, but I couldn't place where it was coming from in my haze. The eyes belonged to a woman with deep auburn hair and a sweet smile that only a mother could hold. I tilted my head in confusion as she said something I couldn't hear, but could sense was important.

My line of sight drifted to the person standing behind the strange woman. Familiar messy black hair and hazel eyes made me wonder _who _exactly were these people. The man contained a pair of well-used glasses and an undertone of mischief in his stance. He said something to the woman, who only smiled and shook her head. She repeated whatever she was saying to me, with me still rendered deaf to their words, but the meaning came across loud and clear. I nodded at her with a promise and set determination before concentrating back on my task.

I close my eyes and tried to push harder with what little strength I had. I thought about my regrets. The moments I shared with my family and wished with all my might to _live. _The soul pushed back feebly, but the spell could only do so much. I pushed and wished even harder, feeling my soul reinsert itself in my body and my life return to me.

At the end of it, I could feel a sharp pain and a burning sensation where my soul had come out and went back in. I breathed once before falling completely on my back, unconscious, the woman's voice finally reaching me in my moment of ultimate weakness.

_'Please. Take care of him, Your Highness.'_

* * *

**Me: 'Simple and Clean' (the music box version) gave this chapter the 'I miss my family and friends' feel. 'This is War' represented Yuri's inner struggle to live and to keep fighting. 'Paradise' was the promise of death and how difficult it is to escape the call to just let go. These really helped me feel the emotions that I could imagine Yuri was experiencing at the time, I just hope I was able to convey them in words.**

**A Demon's Magic - Deleted Scene**

**Me: I really wanted to put this deleted scene in. But it just didn't coincide with Yuri's stubbornness about not returning to potions class after the punching incident. Unfortunately, Harry had to brave Snape alone in the real fanfic. Also, I found Dumbledore too OOC to put this in. Yet, I was also ****_extremely and unnecessarily _****proud of writing this. Not sure why. In the end, it just didn't fit with the plot and left too many holes to fill, so I left it out, but I am now giving it to you for your viewing pleasure.**

* * *

Witch Weekly was a terrible magazine in my opinion. I read over the stupid article again and again, rolling my eyes at the sheer stupidity of it and wondering if the Wizarding Society really thought it was all that special. I mean, Hermione was _fourteen, _not _forty. _It was almost like these people had nothing better on their hands. Even Muggle magazines weren't this full of blatant propaganda.

I watched with amusement as Harry, Ron and Hermione all chatted over their copy of the article. I really didn't want to go to Potions class with the bigoted teacher, but after reading that stupid magazine, I knew that I couldn't leave the Golden Trio alone.

Snape was all too happy to prove my point by coming over to our table. I quickly snatched their magazine and stuffed it into a random bag, not caring whose it was. The trio looked at me before shutting up at Snape came into view. "Weasley, Granger, Potter and . . .Shibuya." I smiled pleasantly before returning to 'organizing' my potion ingredients. "As I couldn't help but notice you talking about your social lives, I am deeming fit to take ten point from Gryffindor." I almost face-palmed when Harry and Ron rolled their eyes. "Disrespecting a teacher, another ten points. And I think I will separate you, as according to the article this morning there seems to be a tangled . . .romance between you three." I could see Harry's ears burn a deep read as the Slytherins laughed out something fierce.

"Professor," I said in a calm voice, feeling my magic swirl underneath my anger, "Surely, an understanding man such as yourself can tell that the propaganda of the press is not always true." Snape's black gaze returned to me. I, in turn, stared back. At the strange contest, I felt a strange sensation tingle as the furthest reaches of my mind. I tried to shake it off but it came a little more insistently. This time, I blocked it. I was still able to feel it, but it couldn't touch my mind anymore.

I tried to search Murata's memories for an answer to this sensation. Coming up with only one thing, I glared even harder at my so-called 'professor'. "Mr. Snape," I started in a hard voice, "I trust you know that your _mind-games _are borderline _illegal._" Startled, the greasy-haired man stepped back with a sneer.

"Potter!" He called, looked back at Harry. "To the front of the class with . . .Mr. Shibuya. Weasley, Granger, stay here." I glanced over to a pair of green eyes that were boring into me. Smiling, I put my potions ingredients into my bag and slung it over my shoulder before heading to the front of the class.

I watched as Snape sneered a few more things to Harry, putting a shoulder on my friend's shoulder to calm him down. It wasn't long before Snape turned to me and spouted a few more nasty things. Of course, I had heard worse. Instead, I ignored him and continued to calmly cut up my ginger roots. "Professor Snape," I interrupted, "Haven't you learned as a child that if you cannot say anything nice, then do not say anything at all?" Before the man could open his mouth, I interrupted, "Don't try to take points off, it won't work seeing as how I'm not in a House." I sighed as his big nose was increasingly turning red, "As for Harry being a 'nasty little boy who considers rules to be beneath him', I've always known Harry to follow quite a few rules and I am wondering if you are not mistaking him for someone else."

At his flinch, I knew that I touched a nerve. I was glad that I talked to Dumbledore about Snape before coming to class today.

~Flashback~

_"Headmaster," I said, walking into the office slowly. I had been watching a few people over the last few days, unsure what to make of them. Snape, in particular, was a mystery. It was obvious that he held a deep hatred for Harry, but I couldn't understand why. It almost seemed like he was seeing someone else in Harry. "I want to talk about one of your professors."_

_The old man sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger, "This is about Professor Snape, I presume?" At my nod, the old wizard continued, but not before conjuring a chair, "Severus, has not had an easy life." I almost rolled my eyes. That was the understatement of the century, "The one good thing in his life, was taken away, by none other then Harry's father, James." _

_I shook my head, already knowing about the uncanny resemblance between Harry and his father. Of course, it was also obvious that Harry's personality was nothing like James's but it seemed like there was nobody who knew James to look beyond that. "And so, he hates Harry because he looks like the man that took something from him." I sighed and leaned into the conjured chair. I was in deep thought about this entire situation, before coming up with the one question that bothered me, "Why are you telling me all this?" _

_The twinkle in Dumbledore's eyes diminished a little before he laid his hands down on the table, "I'm getting old, Mr. Shibuya. Although, people look to me as a leader, I will be the first to admit that I am stuck in my ways and find it difficult to do things out of the realm of my own imagination." I looked over his old frame, watching as he shook his own head was seemed like a dozen times, "You, however, are also a leader. You are young and you are accepting and forgiving. More so then this old man. I have heard stories from your Godfather of your naivety getting through the most heartless of people and turning them around. I do not know the details, but I sense a great power in you and I have faith that you are as good of a leader as Mr. Murata keeps telling me." _

_I was dumbstruck. Scratching my head, I tried to get over the amount of praise I was receiving from one of the wisest people I had ever met. "I . . .really don't know what to say to that. I'm sure that everyone was just over-exaggerating. I'm really not that special."_

_I watched as Dumbledore's long white beard trembled in his chuckles of amusement. "Nevertheless, I feel that, in the case of where I failed, you will succeed." Tired blue eyes caught my own and I almost cried at the helplessness held within them, "Please, heal Severus. I believe the only way he can get over his hatred of Harry, is for him to let go of the past. Something, I fear, that I will never be able to help him do."_

~Flashback End~

By the time I was done daydreaming, Snape was recovered and was about to spout something else when there was a knock on the dungeon door.

"Enter," Snape said in his usual tone as Karkaroff stormed in. I watched with narrow eyes as the two teachers exchanged words with one another. Before Karkaroff was shooed into waiting for class to end. As the end of class was approaching, I watched as Harry knocked over a bottle of . . .something before ducking behind his cauldron. I sighed, not really wanting to leave Harry alone but also not wanting to stay, I decided to help Harry clean up.

We both slowly cleaned, Harry glancing at me as I motioned for him to keep his head down.

"What's so urgent?" Snape hissed.

"This," Karkaroff said, "Well? Do you see it? It's never been this clear, never since—"

"Put it away!" snarled Snape.

Before Snape could call out to us. I quickly cleaned up the rest of whatever it was Harry dropped before hurrying him out of the room with all our stuff.

"What was _that?_"

I glanced over at my friend before shrugging and continuing on. "Probably nothing." We both knew I was lying.


	37. Chapter 37

Waking up in the Hospital Wing was not a pleasant experience. My chest burned, my limbs felt heavy and my breathing was shallow. I felt like Hell and my eyelids were heavy.

But I was alive!

My eyes flew open as I sat up quickly and tried to get a handle on where I was. The Hospital Wing wasn't all that familiar, but it was better then being in the woods. At least I could recognize where I was.

"Yuri!" I turned to the multitude of voices bombarding me. I grinned at the sight of Harry, Ron, Hermione, Gwendal and Conrad all together with slightly disheveled looks. Conrad was the first to compose himself, straitening himself out and shaking his head. "Welcome back, Yu-ri." He said in a teasing tone.

I simply grinned. Relieved to be back into the land of the living. I grinned at everyone, responding, "Tadaima!" The Golden Trio looked confused at the sudden Japanese, before Hermione light up with recognition and whispered the meaning to the other two. I breathed a sigh of relief, leaning into my pillow.

"You gave us quite a scare. Madame Pomfrey thought you had been hit with a curse that makes the heart stop beating for a few seconds. It's usually used to fake someone's death." Conrad relayed, he sounded nonchalant about it, but in reality he was reporting to his King. By the look in his eyes, I could tell that he was going to have a chat with me after everyone else was gone, save Gwendal. "You've been asleep for two days." I internally winced. Yeah, I was going to get a talking to.

"In any case, we're all glad that you're back, mate," Ron slapped me on the back, not as hard as he usually did, which made me grin. "Got some, er-" He hesitated looking somewhere that I couldn't see from my position. "Gifts . . .from admirers."

I felt a headache coming on. Groaning, I held a hand to my forehead. Admirers? That was practically a code-word for 'fangirls'. This week was going to be Hell. Another thought occurred to me as I thought of the only reason as to why I would be having fangirls in the British Wizarding World, seeing as being a Champion hadn't helped much. "Wait . . .you mean people know about the 'incident'? How did something, that I would think would be top secret, get around the entire school?"

A chuckle was heard from the other side of the room. "Ah, young Mr. Shibuya," said a wise, old voice that could only belong to the Headmaster, "As much as we try to keep secrets in this school, I seem to find that all my plans are thwarted by particularity talented and resourceful students."

Dumbledore turned to Harry who blinked and shrugged, "Everything that happened between you and that strange man was a complete secret. So, naturally, the whole school knows." I looked at both of them blankly as Dumbledore and Harry were sharing similar looks of amusement. I felt like I was just given a quote from somewhere, but I knew I would never be able to place where it came from.

So, instead of contemplating over what they told me, I sighed and resigned myself to being at the center of attention again. Only this time with . . .fangirls. Shuddering, I brought the blanket I was given up to my chin in slight fear. Maybe I would give the 'gifts' to Hermione to check for love potions. I could trust her to recognize one if she saw it on a chocolate. Or maybe I would just give them to Murata as revenge for making me wear that ridiculous goblin suit.

I watched as everyone seemed to stream out. Harry, Ron and Hermione stuck around to give me an update to what I had missed. Apparently, Mr. Crouch was in a coma due to an overuse of Confusion and Sleeping potions and whatever he had said to Harry had alarmed Dumbledore and the rest of the staff.

I was more concerned with his soul. It was exactly like Moody's. There was no way that should even be possible. No two souls were alike. Of course, there were bonded souls. Like Nicola and Hube. These souls were so intertwined that it was difficult to separate the two, unless you knew the people themselves. Hube's soul held many scars that were continually being healed by the light of Nicola's soul, while Nicola's soul got brighter every time it touched Hube's soul. I could tell the difference, even though they were connected. It was obvious that there were two separate souls.

The only explanation that I could come up with was that Moody was not . . .Moody. Or that he was in disguise then he tried to kill me. Given that Dumbledore trusted Moody, I would guess it was the former option. Still, I needed to talk to everyone else about my thoughts first. This situation was so confusing that I couldn't set my thoughts straight.

I looked over at Conrad and Gwendal who were both looking at me with somber expressions. Conrad's hand was on my shoulder in a tight and protective grip as he tried to keep his composure. Gwendal was reached into his inside pocket and took out his knitting supplies. On the outside, it looked like he wasn't particularly worried, but by the way he missed a loop and had to restart his project, I could tell he was distracted.

"You really can't stay out of trouble, can you Shibuya?" I looked over at the voice to see Murata standing there with a slight frown and the reflection of his glasses hiding his eyes. ". . .It seems like the situation is worse then I thought . . . ." I silently agreed with him, looking up at the ceiling as I laid on my back.

My gut was tingling in annoyance. Specifically it was tingling on the spot where the spell hit me. "It wasn't a heart-stopping spell." I said simply, under my breath. Everyone heard me but Madame Pomfrey who was hustling herself around in the background.

Gwendal was the one who acted. He pulled the curtain around my bed to give us some privacy and Murata cast a silencing charm around us. "Your Highness?" asked Conrad, who had let go of my shoulder but was now looking at me with intense emotion, something I was not used to seeing on his face.

I smiled to let him know it was alright. "I'm alive so it's fine. The spell didn't work." Alarm shot across everyone's face. Conrad put his hand on my arm and held it tightly in worry. A sigh made it's way though my lips. "It was the Killing Curse." I couldn't lie to them, or even withhold information. I knew from the anger radiating off in the room that whoever had cast it would be on the receiving end of both Gwendal and Conrad's swords. I sweat-dropped at the tension building up in the air. Ignoring the angry men, I turned my attention back to the ceiling.

Why didn't the curse kill me? I mean, sure I'm the Demon King and all, but according to Murata there have been plenty of demons on Earth who have died from the Killing Curse. I thought back to my ancestor, Mamoru Shibuya. Was this the famed 'way to block the Killing Curse'? If so, it wasn't really 'blocking' it. More like reversing the effects.

I turned to my side, forcing Conrad to let go of my arm and tried getting comfortable. There was no point dwelling on it now. Maybe I would ask Harry about it . . . .or not. I really didn't want to talk about it. The cold feeling. My soul coming out. Those people . . . .

I shivered and closed my eyes, decidedly trying to get some sleep. The Third Task was coming up in a month and I needed to be prepared.

* * *

I trained with Harry, Hermione and Ron for the upcoming task. At first I wasn't sure if I should, being a competitor and all, but Harry insisted. He had been a bit of a worrier every since that encounter in the forest.

"It's my fault." He said simply when I cornered him one day, "If I hadn't run off to get Dumbledore . . . ." He glanced at me under his glasses. "I heard it from Madame Pomfrey. You were hit with the Crutiatus Curse, right?" I shifted from side to side, uncomfortable with remember what had happened to me. "You're my friend, Yuri. You would probably do the same for me if our positions were reversed." I had conceded at that point, as I had no argument.

Neville had practically turned into a Mother Hen. To ease his mind, I helped him out in the Green House. It was nice to garden again. Ever since I learned about the names of the flowers Cecilie had cultivated, I had taken the habit of going outside with Greta and watering the plants. I had never done anything extensive, like Neville was prone to doing, but it was nice to walk about outside as well.

What was odd though, was that the magical plants seemed to grow with more vigor when I was around. Or at least, that's what Neville told me.

"Look at this, Yuri." He pointed out, showing me a plant that held deep purple flowers, "This is a rare plant used to help childbirth and regrowth, called Cresco. It's used to create Skele-grow." I remembered the potion. Harry told me about having to drink it after losing his bones in second year. I watched with fascination as Neville poked the plant with his stick, "It requires a lot of sunlight and warm climates. Unfortunately, both of those things are scarce in Scotland."

I tilted my head in confusion, "Why don't you just use magic?" I knew it was really easy to create both those things with a flick of a wand.

Neville shook his head, "That's the problem, it's extremely sensitive to magic. There's another plant called Incresco that starts out as this plant, except infused with the magic of Dragon's blood and whatever magical residue we have in the air. You have to use such spells at a distance or else it might absorb the magic available. Of course, the magic levels of lumos versus the magic levels of Dragon's blood is like night and day, but you can't be too careful."

I nodded, reaching forward to stroke a petal. I pulled back when I felt a sharp warmth come from it. "Ah, see. Now it absorbed your magic." I looked over at Neville, who was observing the plant. "Well, this was supposed to be turned into an Incresco anyway, so I suppose it's alright. But I've never seen a plant take to a foreign magic so quickly. It must like you."

I wasn't too sure how I felt about it 'liking' me, but if I helped Neville out then it was fine by me.

* * *

**Me: I'm almost done with this fanfic. A few more chapters that I might upload today and then all done! Consider it a late Christmas present, or something. I have been writing this since I woke up, so be grateful!**


	38. Chapter 38

The days rolled by until finally came the day of the Third Task. I sat in the Great Hall, waiting for Harry, Ron and Hermione to come down. Looking at a newspaper, I snorted and crumpled it up, not bothered at all by the headline or article.

It wasn't long before the Golden Trio cropped up. Harry receiving a 'Good-luck' card from Sirius and Hermione receiving a Daily Prophet. I laughed when she spat out her Pumpkin juice at the front page.

"What?" Both Harry and Ron asked at the same time.

I rolled my eyes and took the newspaper from Hermione, as she tried to hide it away from them, "Rita Skeeter, doesn't know when to mind her own business." I said, handing them the article, to which they read together. I looked over at the corner of my eye to see Malfoy coming over with a Daily Prophet in his hand and a sly grin on his face.

Oh, how I wanted to punch that grin off.

"Hey, Potter! Potter! How's your head? You feeling all right? Sure you're not going to go berserk on us?"

I glared at the boy, and looked over throughout the Great Hall. Frowning at the whispers and speculations the students were saying about Harry, I was at a loss of what to do. I looked over at the teacher's table to see Conrad and Gwendal with ripped pieces of the Daily Prophet at their feet. Smiling, I came up with an idea.

Before they could protest, I grabbed the newspaper out of their hands and stood up on the table, careful not to stand on any of the food. "To all of you who are reading the Daily Prophet, I ask that you ignore what it says and consider what I am going to say to you!" My voice wasn't shouting, but it did catch the attention of the entire Great Hall. I looked over to see Snape looking like his eyes were going to pop out of his head and Mcgonagall looked between scolding me or praising me.

"I am a new student, not only to this school or country, but of this side of the world. I was not received with the best of cheers when I was chosen as a champion and I had not received the warmest of welcomes from the teachers." I glared over at Snape especially, who glared back. "One of the few people who did welcome me, was Harry Potter. He didn't ask unnecessary questions, nor did he scorn me because I was different. He simply tried to become my friend. To that, I am able to see that this article is false in every which way about Harry's character. He is a true friend and I will not stand by and let some scheming woman put him down for a good story. If you cannot see past that, then I suggest you leave him alone, as then you will have me to deal with if you do not." This time I looked at Malfoy, who had an enraged looked scattered across his face.

I looked over at the entire student body. Some people had a sneer adorned their lips, but most of them looked thoughtful. Some even looked ashamed. What I was pleased to see almost everyone put away the article. I looked over at the teacher's table and almost laughed out loud at the site. Snape looked like he swallowed something particularly sour. Everyone else seemed to beam with pride, even Gwendal, who held a ghost of a smile.

What surprised me the most was when Dumbledore stood up and started to clap slowly and deliberately. Pretty soon, everyone but the Slytherin table joined in on this clapping. I took this as my signal to sit down and did so.

Eventually the clapping died down and the Great Hall returned to its normal chattering. Harry looked at me with a slightly awed expression but with worry creasing on his eyebrows. "You didn't have to do that, you know." He looked over at Malfoy, who was now stabbing a piece of bacon with vigor.

I snorted, "Of course I did! What're friends for? This stupid tournament is making everyone more stupid then normal. 'Attention seeking'? Really? Why would a boy, who obviously shies away from cameras, be 'attention seeking'? People here are either really blind or really stupid." It was decided right then and there. The Wizarding society had no common sense. None.

Ron chose this time to speak up, "Or both." I nodded in agreement, only to sigh. Magic had a lot of potential to do good. It seemed like people here only really did it either to waste time or commit evil deeds. Of course, I wasn't King of their society so it wasn't my problem, but it still felt bitter that I couldn't do anything.

Later on, when Hermione and Ron left to go to History of Magic (Honestly, Murata was driving them all insane. To be excited about history of all things) we were all shuffled into the Great Hall, Harry being just as confused as ever.

When I saw the excited faces of my Mom, Dad and Shori, I knew what this was. They were all here to with me good luck. I had a sinking suspicion that I needed it.

"Yuu-chan~" My mom called. I blushed at the nickname but shook off the feeling and allowed her to hug me. She must've been worried sick this whole time, so I allowed her to have her way. Shori was lecturing me, to which I happily ignored, while my dad was smiling at me with a proud demeanor.

I smiled at all of them but looked over at Harry, who was talking with the Weasley family. I got his attention and waved him over. "Harry, this is my family. My mom, Miko. My brother, Shori. And my dad, Shoma." Harry seemed a bit uncomfortable, but introduced himself while my mother gushed over him. I looked over at the Weasleys who were watching with amused expressions on their faces.

I grinned and went over to introduce myself, "Hello. I'm Yuri Shibuya. A friend of Harry, Ron and Hermione's." I waited patiently as everyone else introduced themselves and explained who else was in the family.

"There's Charlie as well. Oh, you might have met him! He works with dragons and helped set up the First Task." Mrs. Weasley said with vigor.

I sweat-dropped but smiled, "Yeah, I remember that . . . ." I had met Charlie briefly after my encounter with the dragon. He had been interrogating me about how I was able to 'control' it. To be honest, I was a little freaked out by him. I shook my head and looked around with a frown, "Where is Harry's family by the way? You would think they would be worried about him . . . ."

Nervous glances were exchanged, making me look at them all with suspicion, "They would be worried about him . . .right?"

Mr. Weasley was the one who sighed, "We're not too sure . . .Harry rarely mentions them and when he does it's never . . .pleasant things."

This time Bill snorted. I looked over at him, "From what the twins told me, they locked him up and fed him through a cat flap." My eyebrows must've disappeared under my bangs, as I couldn't feel them anymore. A cat flap? Why? What happened? Oh, Harry had a lot of explaining to do.

It wasn't long before Hermione and Ron showed up, along with the twins and Ginny. After a brief misunderstanding with Mrs. Weasley and Hermione, Murata showed up with his usual vigor and cheer.

"Hello~ Mama-chan!" He said to my mother, making shivers appear up and down my spine. He was riling her up! On purpose!

I looked over at Shori with a pleading look. He seemed to understand and swiftly intercepted Murata, "Hello, friend-of-my-little-brother." I face-palmed at the nickname.

Murata, however responded in kind, "Hello, older-brother-of-my-friend." I could tell that everyone was looking at me in confusion, to which I shook my head and didn't bother getting in the middle.

I looked over at my father, who was in a deep conversation with Mr. Weasley. "Are you a muggle? Oh how fascinating they are with their little machines . . . ."

"You should see our sports. My favorite is baseball . . . ."

"Curious, how did this sport come about?"

"It's American . . .I think it was created around their Civil War . . . ."

And so on. I silently applauded my dad for having the patience for Mr. Weasley's ramblings. Then again, knowing that he married my mother, it didn't seem that strange. Pretty soon, Shori and Bill joined the conversation and it turned toward banking. At this, I ignored them completely and turned my attention to three people approaching us.

It was the Diggorys. I frowned as Mr. Diggory seemed to be giving Harry a hard stare. Harry passed them, giving him an opportunity to stop him. "There you are, are you."

I frowned, coming up to Harry's side and looking over at Cedric who was rolling his eyes. "Bet you're not feeling as full of yourself seeing as how this fellow is ahead of you in points." I blinked as he motioned toward me.

"Ignore him," Cedric whispered to both of us, "He's been angry ever since Rita Skeeter's article about the Triwizard Tournament and —uh— about the Demons."

I felt a sigh escape me, getting everyone's attention as I didn't bother to stifle it. "I hate that woman." Harry nodded in agreement, as did Cedric. I turned to Mr. Diggory, "Look, sir, please stop with your school-boy competitiveness and think for a moment, as I am tired of ignoring everyone who says something passive-aggressive." The older man looked stunned at me talking back to him. Well, good. I was tired and didn't want to have to deal with people like him, "Harry's a good kid, he didn't enter the tournament on purpose, he has been competitively fair toward your son and I think he deserves a better reception then a bitter attitude over something as pointless as this tournament. So, I suggest you grow up, shake his hand, with him good luck and leave. Him. Be."

Cedric didn't bother to hide his laughter as he clapped me on the shoulder, "Good one, mate. I've been trying to tell him that for a long time. Thick skull, this one's got." I smiled, tired at the amount of speeches I've been giving today. I looked over at Mr. Diggory, who held an outraged expression, but he was held back by his wife, who also looked amused, but did better at hiding it.

It was a few hours before Harry and I were finally walking toward the front of the hedges that were now towering over us. I swallowed thickly and looked back at my family to see my mother waving wildly and my father and brother giving me worried expressions.

""Ladies and gentlemen, the third and final task of the Triwizard Tournament is about to begin! Let me remind you how the points currently stand! In first place, Mr. Yuri Shibuya with eighty-nine points, of the Demon's Academy! Tied in second place, with eighty-five points each - Mr. Cedric Diggory and Mr. Harry Potter, both of Hogwarts School!" The cheers and applause sent birds from the Forbidden Forest fluttering into the darkening sky. "In third place, with eighty points - Mr. Viktor Krum, of Durmstrang Institute!" More applause. "And in fourth place - Miss Fleur Delacour, of Beauxbatons Academy!"

I looked around panicky as I realized that I would be going in there first. Alone. With no help but my wand and my Demon Magic. Ken Murata I was going to murder you when this was over!

"On my whistle! One — Two — Three!" The clear sound rang throughout the crowd, causing me to sprint forward like I was running to the safety of a base.

* * *

**Me: Not sure if the points are correct, seeing as how Yuri ignored more of the points anyway. They never interested him. He never wanted any part of the Tournament so he didn't bother. Ah, well. I needed him to be first anyway.**


	39. Chapter 39

One good thing about being the Demon King, magical monsters didn't like attacking you. The Blast-ended Skewts were terrifying, especially with how big they were, but I was able to avoid them. It wasn't long until I heard a scream. Looking up over the hedges, I recognized it as Fleur. Frowning, I kept to the path I was in, using the Point Me spell once in a while to ensure I was going the right way.

It wasn't long until I ran into Harry and Cedric, who were standing over Krum. "What happened?" I asked, jogging to them and catching their attention.

Harry was the one who answered me, "He-he snuck up behind Cedric. Almost used an unforgivable-"

I frowned, leaning over the bigger boy-almost-man to inspect him. I knew very little medical techniques but something instinctual seemed to be taking over. "Was he acting strange when he came up to you? Possibly spacey? Or lost?" I looked over at Cedric who was nodding his head slowly. I looked through Murata's memories and cursed, "I don't think he meant to do it. See here," I pointed to some scratches on his palm, "This is self-inflicted. Murata told me about it, apparently it happens a lot when someone is under the Imperious Curse, when they're trying to fight subconciously."

Harry and Cedric exchanged looks, obviously not sure about what to do. I kept silent before standing up and sending some sparks up with my wand. "We can't just leave him here. If he truly was under the Imperious Curse, then I think there's something more going on here then the tournament." I stretched and put my wand away, "For now, let's split up. Keep up the whole 'I'm going to win before you' attitude."

Harry nodded seriously but Cedric still looked unsure. I sighed and walked off in a random direction. The next thing I came up to was a Sphinx, who held an astonished look on her face. I smiled as the half-lion half-woman creature stepped aside without a word with her head bowed. What was with magical creatures and their obsession with me? I would never know.

I soon came up to the cup, hesitating to take it. This didn't feel right. This felt wrong on so many levels. I looked behind me to see Harry sprinting forward and I looked over at Cedric who was being chased by a giant spider. Sighing, I glared at the spider, making it slow down and back up. I glared at it harder, trying to shoo it away from all three of us, but instead it sprinted forward and went for Diggory.

Taking out my wand, I sent out a couple of curses that it simply shrugged off. Harry was doing the same, ignoring the cup in favor of helping Cedric. It was the disarming spell, Expelliarmus, that made it fall over. Leaving Harry with a gash in his leg and Cedric with a righteous fury of letting Harry have the cup. I ignored them both in favor of healing Harry's leg with my Demon Magic.

"Let's all take it." I looked up at Harry and stared at him, completely forgetting about his leg, "Oh, come on. If Cedric and I take it, it's glory for Hogwarts all around. Also, I owe you Yuri." I didn't dare ask what it was he owed me, instead I went back to work fixing his leg.

"Y-you sure?" Cedric asked, looking at the cup with some longing.

I sighed and decided to speak up, "Why not?" This was getting way too dramatic for me, "I mean, who's going to expect a three-way tie? We'll end it with a 'bang'! So to speak . . . ." Cedric looked at me critically before nodding.

"On three then?" I swallowed, the bad feeling in my gut getting larger and larger. "One." I curled up my fists in anticipation. "Two." Harry seemed to be testing his leg. It was much better then before but I wasn't sure if I healed it all the way through, "Three."

We all grabbed onto the cup, I felt a dizzying sensation before falling hard onto the grassy ground. When I saw a graveyard instead of Hedges, I knew that my bad feeling was correct.

* * *

"Wands out." I said instantly, looking around the area in fear. I knew that this wasn't part of the tournament. It couldn't have been. Gwendal and Conrad would never have agreed to it. Both of my companions complied, just before Harry doubled over in pain, clutching his scar.

"Kill the spare." A raspy voice rang out into the cold air, making my hair stand on end.

"Avada Kadavra!" Was yelled out before Cedric was hit with a green light.

A light radiated off of his chest where he was hit and his soul was gently lifted out of his body. I reached forward, aware that Harry could not see the soul, and grasped it. It was warm, filled with kindness and love. Yet, it was rapidly growing cold. I pulled it toward me to my chest, where I was once hit with the Killing Curse. It didn't go into my body, but it did cling to the warmth I offered it.

Soon, I was grabbed, along with Harry and tied up to a gravestone. We were separated on either side of the cauldron that was placed in the middle. Harry seemed to be slowly recovering from his hurting scar, while I was staring at the strange little man who was tying us up with his wand. He had a small baby-sized creature under his arm as well. It looked like . . . .it looked like a severed soul. I fought down the urge to throw up and watched as the bundle was placed in a cauldron with a small splash.

"Bone of the Father, unknowingly given, you will renew your son!"

I watched, horrified as a bone was placed in along with the baby thing. The little man came up to the cauldron with a knife, holding it up along with his hand.

"Flesh — of the servant — w-willingly given — you will — revive — your master." He cut off his own hand and watched as it entered the concoction as well. I squeaked unsure of what I was seeing, but knew it couldn't be anything good. I looked over at Harry who was also watching this with a disgusted expression.

I tried to fight through the binds as the little man approached Harry with the knife.

"B-blood of the enemy. . .forcibly taken. . .you will . . .resurrect your foe." I watched, horrified as Harry's blood was taken from him and placed into the cauldron as well. I watched as it bubbled up, sparked and a thin man arose from it.

I knew who this was. Even without someone telling me, I knew that this snake-like man was Voldemort. "Robe me." He said, putting on cloths and then stretching. I watched as his followers appeared one by one. Some asking for forgiveness, others quiet. I couldn't listen to their ramblings even as the evil man taunted Harry.

What was going on? No one could return from the dead? Voldemort's soul looked . . .split. Oh no. It couldn't be. I listened on as Voldemort explained what happened. How . . .Wormtail found him and Bertha and was able to implant a way to abduct Harry. I fought against the ropes as Harry was tortured, but with no success.

"Ah, how could I forget." Voldemort said before turning to me. I stared, unsure of what to make of my presence here. "Yuri Shibuya. A little muggle-born from Japan. Yet, much more then that." I glared at him, aware that Harry was staring at me in curiosity. "A Demon." There were murmurs around the Deatheaters in fake surprise, "But not just any Demon. Isn't that right Shibuya?" I growled, feeling my magic swirl underneath my anger, "The King of Demons, I believe the term is. Although, I confess, I have no idea if that means if you are truly their King or if you are simply the most powerful of the lot." I fought against my bonds even more, aware that they were getting tighter and tighter as I did so. He came up to me and grabbed my chin, forcing me to look into his cold, blood-red eyes. "You would make an interesting servant none-the-less. What's even more intriguing is that you survived the Killing Curse. Am I correct?"

Gathering up my courage and rage, I spat in his face. The Deatheaters became still and quiet while Harry looked on in amazement. "You're an abomination." I said before I could stop myself, "I'd never become your servant."

Voldemort looked at me with a bored expression as he wiped away my spit. "Quite." Was all he said, before turning to Harry, "Untie him, Wormtail, and give him back his wand."

I watched as Harry was untied and given his wand back. He looked back at the cup briefly before turning to me. I mouthed 'Go', but he shook his head and stood his ground. Oh God(?), it was at times like these that I wished I didn't have that good of friends.

The 'duel' was a joke. It was obvious that Voldemort was playing with Harry, but the kid still fought back. He ducked behind graves, avoiding spells, until he came to the one I was tied to. "Are you an idiot?!" I whispered, "Get the Hell out of here!" I felt the ropes loosen a bit before Harry moved on, not saying a word.

The Deatheaters and Voldemort were too focused on Harry to notice that my ropes were loose. I used that to my advantage and scrambled around to find my wand, taking a while before grasping it. I turned back to the duel, intent on helping Harry, just as I heard Harry yell out a spell along with Voldemort.

"Expelliarmus!"

"Avada Kadavra!"

The two lights connected as each spell was said. Golden lights and strings played about everywhere and through the midst of it I could feel Cedric's soul trying to leave. 'Not yet.' I mentally commanded, 'Don't leave yet.' The soul seemed to understand and stopped trying to depart from me before I focused more on what was going on. I watched as ghostly figures surrounded Harry and seemed to be talking with him.

I backed up toward the cup and waited. Cedric's body was in my grip as I patiently waited for Harry. I knew. I just knew that he would be okay. That this would be over before we knew it. Soon enough, Harry came running with ghostly figures surrounding his person. I grabbed the cup and held it out to Harry, who grabbed it just as the Portkey activated.

* * *

When we arrived back, everyone was surrounding us. Some people were screaming, others were crying. I found it hard to ignore them all, but I managed. Looking down at Cedric's body, I pulled out his soul and kept it in my hands. I was about to put it back when Cedric's father stopped me.

"My son . . .my son . . .is he?" He looked at me with wide, pleading eyes and I felt at a lose of how I would explain this to him.

I felt something pop into my head. Something soothing and familiar and recognized it instantly as Julia, offering me her guidance. I closed my eyes and reopened them only to find darkness. Yet, I wasn't scared. More of, I was comforted by it. I opened my hands, sending in a little of my magic so that the light of the soul resonated. "Don't worry." I said, my voice a mixture of two tones. My own and Julia's. The area around us became quiet except for a few murmurs.

"Is that . . .Yuri?"

"Whose that woman behind him? A Ghost?"

"His voice is . . .weird."

"Is he . . . ? Is he blind?!"

"What's that light in his hands?"

Ignoring them all, I leaned forward to Mr. Diggory, "What would Cedric regret?"

"I'm sorry?" was all the poor man could say.

I repeated myself, "Anything he would want to do with his life. Anything he would want to live for."

There was a shuttering breath heard before Mr. Diggory started talking, "H-he wanted to go into professional quidditch." The soul felt slightly warmer at that, "H-he wanted t-to have t-two children. One boy, one girl." It heated up rapidly. "He didn't want too much. Oh, he would never say so, but I knew. I knew he . . .he just wanted to live. He wanted to live and grow old like anyone else."

I smiled and gently placed the soul on Cedric's chest, using my healing magic to help it. It slid in much more easily then mine did and took root. I leaned forward and closed my eyes until I felt warm breath on my cheek. He was alive. I breathed a sigh of relief, opening my eyes to the wondrous expressions of a few thousand people. "Don't worry." I said, my tone slowly slipping back into only my own, "He'll be okay." And with that, I promptly fainted.

* * *

**Me: Second to last chapter. Hope you enjoyed it! I'll be sad about leaving this fanfiction, maybe I'll make a sequel? Yes? No? Maybe?**


	40. Chapter 40

I woke up in Dumbledore's office. "This is unacceptable!" I heard Gwendal shout, as I groggily came to. "He is not to be interrogated! I will not have it! We are leaving!" It was rare to hear Gwendal so angry. I sat up from my position and got up with shaky legs.

"Headmaster, you cannot be seriously letting them go!" This time it was a voice I didn't recognize at all. "Young Diggory was hit by the Killing Curse, Albus! And according to the boy's father, Mr. Shibuya is the one who revived him!"

Walking over, I pulled away a curtain that obviously had been hiding me and watched a portly man argue with Gwendal and Dumbledore. I looked over at Murata, who was scowling and had the light of his glasses covering his eyes. Harry was seated by Dumbledore's desk, with Conrad on the wall behind him, resting.

"W-what's going on?" I asked, knowing that my Demon Magic had been drained and was making me more tired then usual.

Gwendal sneered, "This man wants to ask you some questions."

I tilted my head to the side, "Then I will gladly answer them. Stand down, Gwendal." I was not in the mood to deal with their over-protective natures. I was tired, hungry and I wanted to see if Harry and Cedric were alright.

"But-" I cut him off.

"Cdyht tufh, cumtean!" I said, this time in our own language. Knowing I was serious, Gwendal backed down and let me step forward. Conjuring a chair, Dumbledore helped me into it, as my knees almost gave out.

My back straightened and I crossed my legs to keep them from shaking. "Now . . .who're you?" I asked politely to the portly man who conjured his own chair and sat across from me.

"I am the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge." I nodded, trying to show off a professional demeanor but the man's pompous tone was starting to tick me off.

"I am Yuri Shibuya, King of Shin Mazoku and all Demons of the Other Realm." I rarely used my power. The only reason I was using it now was to get this man to listen to me as an equal, not a child. "I hope that you can keep that information to yourself, as we were not going to reveal who we were until the school year ended."

Fudged spluttered, "Y-you cannot be serious! A-A child such as yourself-!"

"I suggest you chose your next bunch of words carefully," said Conrad from across the room, "My associate and I do not take kindly to those who insult our King."

The portly man paled, trying to correct himself, "Ah . . .yes . . .er . . .of course. Mr. Shibuya, I would like for you to recount the events that happened after you grabbed the Triwizard Cup."

I nodded and obliged, not leaving out a single detail. Harry was staring at me intensely, obviously not sure if he should be there or not. "S-so you're saying that you-know-who is . . .alive?" I closed my eyes and nodded, feeling the rush of tiredness I had been ignoring come over me. "I-if this is true then . . . ." Horror etched into the man's face.

I sighed and leaned back into my chair, grateful I was sitting down, "Look, you don't have to believe me. Cedric probably can't remember much, just let me warn you. If you chose to ignore this, I won't. I will have the Demon King of Earth make the proper preparations and I will prepare Harry as much as I can. As I have a suspicion Voldemort will be wanting revenge." The man flinched at the name, "If you do not ignore it, then I will do much the same, only I will also work with the Ministry of Magic to a certain extent. If you try to restrict or stop me in any way, I will retaliate. Is that clear?"

I watched him go. Nodding and whispering to himself every now and then, before I let out a breath. I sagged into my seat, the feeling a received was draining. I looked over at the curtain to watch it disappear with a wave of Dumbledore's wand. Out came a big black dog, that quickly transformed into Sirius.

"Well, that was revealing." I snorted at the understatement.

Looking up at the old man, I watched his blue eyes seriously thinking something over, "Your society . . .is much bigger then I first anticipated." He said, his eyes twinkling again.

I laughed and shook my head, "Worlds bigger, Albus. I dare say we've done just as well as hiding from you as you have from the Muggle world."

Harry got up and came to me, blushing a little in shock, amazement and bewilderment, "Um, is it true? Are you really a . . . ."

Bemused, I nodded, "I am a King. Though, I haven't been one for long. Just a couple of years."

There was a snort and a short laugh. I turned my head to see Conrad and Gwendal. My Godfather was the one who spoke up, "And yet, in those two years you are already written down as the most powerful and most influential King in our history."

"Even more so then our First Demon King." Gwendal added, nodding to himself with his arms crossed.

I frowned at their obvious teasing, "That was just luck."

Murata outright laughed, "Luck and little push." With this he made a pushing motion with his hand. I rolled my eyes and uncrossed my legs.

"I still haven't completely forgiven you for that."

"What? All you did was get a little wet!"

"I almost died!"

"Oh, stop being a Drama-King."

Harry watched us bicker back and forth with a light smile on his face. It was at that moment that Madame Pomfrey came in, wand in hand and started running a few spells over us and pushing potions into our hands. (It was a good thing that Sirius changed back into a canine or he would have been caught.) Harry and I complied to her demands, not wanting to make the witch more angry then need be. At the end of it all, we were free to go and my legs were no longer shaking.

Walking down the halls, away from the teachers in Dumbledore's office and with Snuffled in tow, we finally came up to Ron and Hermione. "Blimey, are you two all right?" Ron exclaimed, checking over both of us. I smiled and nodded, elbowing Harry to do the same. The red-head glanced down at the dog at our side, "Is that . . . ?" Harry grinned and nodded, allowing his two friends to interrogate him.

* * *

The train ride was . . .eventful. Of course, being an exchange student I didn't have to ride the train. But Dumbledore insisted, saying 'it is part of the experience'. I agreed right away, after receiving the money from the tournament (They had split the pot three ways, taking out a gallon. So I had three-hundred and thirty-three gallons), knowing that it would give me a chance to say goodbye.

I was sleeping in a compartment with Murata and the twins, when suddenly I heard shouting. Getting up immediately, I ran into the hall with the twins to see Malfoy and his gang. Growling, I looked over at Fred and George, who both had their wands out. I lifted a hand in front of them, motioning them to calm down.

Walking up to Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle as quietly as I could, I whispered, "What's going on here?" The ferret jumped a mile high, almost hitting the ceiling of the train. The other two flinched and turned to me with their wands pointed at me. I smiled, aware that these three had interrupted my sleep and caused me to become irritable. "I suggest you move along now. Don't want to upset anyone with your attitude."

Malfoy sneered at me, but motioned his cronies away and ran off. If there was one thing that Malfoy had, it was good survival instincts. I didn't know anyone who wanted to deal with a woken-up, grumpy Demon King.

Looking into the compartment, I found Harry, Ron and Hermione and waved at them, joining them. "Blimey mate," said one of the twins, Fred, I think. "I don't think I've ever seen the little ferret run so fast. What'd you do to him?" I leaned against the window, on the same seat with Hermione and Ron, while Harry was seated in-between the twins.

I shrugged, "Nothing, as far as I know. I think I've might've done something at the beginning of the year but . . .I don't really remember." I scratched the back of my head and felt my hair that was being held back in a lose ponytail. I knew it was going to be cut for summer baseball, but that was fine by me. At least I'd had it to cover my neck during the winter. "Anyway, what's going on with all of you? Any plans for the summer?"

This rapidly got into a conversation about Ludo Bagman and some sort of bet they were forced to abandon because he was such a cheat. Hermione revealed her discovery of the Rita-bug, when the twins were away for a new minutes to pull a prank. "Hey, I know that you caught her and all, but do you think I could have her?" Harry, Ron and Hermione in turn stared at me, "That article that she wrote . . .there's no way she was simply listening in on our conversation. She has to have some background information, I'm just wondering what it is."

Hermione hesitated, reaching into her bag to take out the beetle, "You won't . . .you know . . . ." I furrowed my brow in confusion before coming up with what she was trying to tell me. I sighed at her lack of faith in me, but I guess I couldn't fault her for it. Not after everything that just happened.

"No, I won't force it out of her." I looked up in thought and corrected myself, "Actually, I will, but not in the way you're thinking. I was going to use Truth Serum." I had forgotten the original name of the potion, but I knew it's nickname.

Sighing, the bushy-haired girl handed the jar to me. I nodded my thanks and placed it into my Pocket Office. Ron looked fidgety in my direction before blurting out a question, just as Fred and George opened the compartment door, "Is it true you're a King?!" I blinked at the suddenness, looking over at the twins who had just entered and Harry and Hermione who had exasperated and amused looks on their faces.

Sighing, I leaned back up against the window. "Sit down and lock the door, will you? If I'm going to explain this, I'd rather the whole bloody world doesn't know." The twins scrambled and locked the door, taking their seats on either side of Harry and leaning in with hopeful expressions. "Let's see . . .well, in your society, how are Kings usually chosen?" Of course, I didn't mean their modern society, but they knew that.

Hermione was the one to promptly answered, "The firstborn." Everyone's attention shifted to her, "The firstborn child is usually made King, but you're not the firstborn so it can't be that." I smiled at her intelligence, motioning her to go on. "Well . . .with the most obvious being put out of the picture, I would say there are two other ways. Either your brother died, which isn't the case, or he is deemed unworthy to be king, leaving you the heir."

I nodded, what she said was correct, but not complete, "There are several other ways. Such as, the firstborn wasn't born of pure nobility. The firstborn is female. Or the firstborn is mentally or physically incapable, but neither of those things are true in my case." I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath before releasing it, "In my case, I was being prepared, from birth, to be a King."

"Wait," Harry interrupted, "But your family . . .they didn't seem like the type to . . . ." I smiled, I could always count on Harry's perceptiveness.

"They aren't," I said simply, reaching into my pocket to take out my box of vanilla pocky. "My case is . . .strange. You see, I was chosen for the sole reason I was common." I took out a stick and popped it in my mouth, offering it to everyone else. Harry and Ron were the only ones who accepted. "There's another entirely different story attached to that, but let's just say that I had a way with the people because I knew what it was like to be one of them. Not to mention I hated living in luxury, it was uncomfortable to say the least. I enjoyed the simple life."

Ron looked thoughtful. A grin crept on my face as I watched him think it over. You wouldn't know it by his looks, but Ron knew strategy and politics. "But if you were born into the 'commoner's' world, so to speak, why would they chose you? Wouldn't they chose someone with more . . .royal blood?"

Nodding, I turned to everyone in the room, "I do have royal blood, it's just . . .diluted. Demons can be marked by a simple trait that no one here thinks about because it's so common. Of course, even though they have some Demon in them, they would never know it. Our tribe is so spread out that even we cannot keep track of everyone!" At the confused looks I was getting, I sighed and tried to explain myself, "Look, a few thousand years ago, a couple of my ancestors started spreading around the world. Because of them . . .well, I guess you could say it's like Adam and Eve. So many people reproduced that nearly everyone has a little bit of demon blood in them. You will rarely find a pureblooded human or a pureblooded demon."

Comprehension dawned on their faces as some murmurs were exchanged. Harry was the one who pipped up with a question, "What is this trait?"

This was one of those rare moments that I felt like laughing evilly, I held back though, trying to keep a straight face. "Black hair and eyes." I watched with amusement as everyone turned to Harry, who was tentatively reaching up to touch his black locks. I felt laughter bubbling in the bottom of my chest. "Of course, you're mostly human, Harry. But can you guys believe that before my ancestors appeared, there were no humans with black hair or eyes?"

Hermione and Ron kept their eyes wide while Fred and George seemed to be doubling over in laughter. I couldn't hold it in any longer, I joined in, calming down only when Harry punched me on the shoulder. "It's not funny . . . ." He said, I shook my head in amusement.

"Look, what I did say was true. But me saying that is like saying you're related to Hermione or Ron. Sure, if you go down the line enough, you'll come to Adam and Eve, but it's so diluted that it doesn't matter."

He looked at me with unsure, emerald eyes, "And the black hair?"

I sighed, "It is a trait. So there is a guarantee there is some Demon blood in you, but it's not like all Demon's have Black hair and Black eyes. In fact, where my ancestors come from having both was considered extremely rare."

Hermione furrowed her brow in thought, "Not in Japan, though."

I nodded, "We suspect my ancestors eventually settled there. As that's where the traits are the strongest. There are a few families that still have records of being Demons all the way back to my ancestors time. In wizarding terms, I would be considered a half-blood. As my mother is human and my father is pureblood demon. So . . . ."

Hermione and Ron seemed to perk up at the prospect of me being a half-blood. Harry smiled, but kept petting his hair thoughtfully. I looked over at Fred and George who both were still recovering from their fit of laughter. I looked over at the two redheads with identical faces as they complained to the golden trio what they were going to do with a joke shop. I hummed and thought about my money bag before coming up with an idea.

Reaching into my Pocket Office, I drew out the bag of three-hundred and thirty-three gallons. I placed it promptly onto George's lap, who spluttered and looked at it in awe. "Take it. I don't need it."

"Yuri-" They started to say at the same time before I cut them off.

"Look, I literally got a castle the size of Hogwarts and a vault that my ancestor left me. I've got too much money anyway, I don't need this." They stared at me. "Hey, I promised I would donate it to the Gryffindor Quidditch Team, but it seems like I forgot. So, take it."

"We'll need a few laughs anyway," I looked over at Harry, who had placed his bag of gallons onto Fred's lap. The older boy squeaked, looking down at the pile of money in his hands. "I think that you guys can be successful."

I grinned at my emerald-eyed friend, "We know you will be successful." At that, they both blushed a deep crimson and put the bags of money away.

When the train stopped and we crossed the barrier, saying goodbye to everyone, I stopped Harry before he left. "I heard from the Weasley's that your family " I practically spat the word, "doesn't treat you the best." He blushed and looked down and was about to say something until I interrupted him, "You don't have to explain to me." I already had a feeling what it was probably like, based on his attitude. Greta's previous home-life was similar. "All I'm saying is that here's my address." I handed him an envelope. "Send me letters and tell me when you want to leave. Don't just ignore it."

Harry nodded, looking at the envelope before opening it. Wide-eyed in shock, Harry whipped his head at me before looking in the envelope in shock. "This is —"

"Yeah sorry," I said, scratching the back of my head, "You'll have to stay with your relatives for a few weeks, but after I wanted to invite you. Then again, I knew that you would never be able to go on your own, so I just went ahead and made sure you had a way to—"

I stopped my rambling half-way through as I was pulled into a tight hug. Unaccustomed to such things, I awkwardly hugged him back. "Thank you." Was all he said in a pained voice, grasping the plane ticket in his hand like a life line.

I smiled, gradually becoming more comfortable with the hug. "Sorry it couldn't be sooner. This was the closest flight I could book on such short notice."

We broke free, Harry laughing as tears formed on the edge of his eyes, "Y-you got me a passport too. H-how'd you manage that?" I reached into my pocket and handed him a handkerchief.

I smiled at the thought of Bob, who was able to take Harry's picture and turn it into a legit passport. I smiled wider at the thought of the nervous Colin Creevy who had given me the picture. "I have my ways . . .there's also some pounds in there just in case you bring some luggage or if you want a snack." I also pointed to the stranger money, "That yen. It's Japanese money. I know what day, time and place you arrive at, so I'll pick you up. That's just in case you get hungry and want a meal, also to get you accustom to our currency."

In truth, Shori had helped me with setting everything up and had told me several times to explain very carefully what everything was for. Harry looked up at me with a confused expression, "W-what about Ron and Hermione?"

I grinned even wider, "Well~" I shivered a bit at how much I sounded like Murata at that moment, "I knew that both of them would refuse so I send them both identical letters via owl with no return address. I also gave envelopes to every member of the Weasley family and Hermione's parents." As I said this, I waved with a big smile plastered on my face, at Hermione and Ron who were happily out of earshot.

Harry shook his head, "And what if I refused it?"

I gave Harry the same smile, "Consider it an early birthday present. That way you can't refuse, or else I'll be insulted and be forced to kidnap you as retaliation." Needless to say, he accepted the gift. "I also charmed it so you'll never lose it and it'll never be taken away from you by Muggles." Harry laughed, waving goodbye, before running off to join who I assumed was his uncle, though he looked more like a pig on two legs.

Murata came up to me and leaned his elbow on my shoulder. I could tell that he was internally laughing at me, "You ready to go home."

I looked up at the just raining sky and smiled. "Yup."

The next thing I knew, all I could feel was the sensation of being in water.

* * *

**Me: It . . .it's over. It's done! Oh. My. God. It is actually DONE! I cannot believe it! Oh, happy day! Now for the sequel. What should I call it? Oh noes, I cannot decide . . . .**

**A Demon's Toad?**

**A Toad's Magic?**

**The Demon and The Phoenix?**

**A Demon's Order?**

**A Demon's Magic: The Order of the Phoenix?**

**I CANNOT DECIDE! ERMAHGERGH! MERGERK!**


End file.
